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Teddie Jordan

Fran and I went and visited our sister in law that we consider to be a sister, Betty Jordan, WHS '63', at her home today and saw this cute sign posted at several spots in her senior cottage compound!

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Hey Bil... Our turn for what ?      Teddy, would that be, slow grandparents, or slowdown, grandparents are around?  Or just grandparents are slow ! ! !  

     GOOOOOOOOOOD MRONIN  HAPPELL CHILLLLLLL........and all to hear and see.   Ha, whatever that means.   This portion of todays shew is brought to you by DUKES mayonaise. They've been puttin up their DUKES and knocking the sandridges outa the park since 1917.  Now  the weather report...yes there is weather today.  

     There will be no Farm and Ranch report today, cause the weather wont permit it, just too lousy, but if there had been a report, it would have been brought to you by Gold Medal Flour, milled in the USA, your great grandmothers have been using Gold Medal since 1880. Wonder what the heck they used before then? 

     On to the sports section for today, brought to you by "look sharp, feel sharp, be sharp" Gillette razor blades, since lord only knows when, and he's not sayin.  The baseball scores:  3 to 2, 5 to 1 and 10 to 0, boy, that musta been one heck of a game there.

    Classifieds this phine mornin;  Harley called in the morning and said he found that 4th wheel, and that he's decided to lower the price to $3 dollars a wheel just to be fair.  I know it's a fair bet that  youve been waiting for that announcement since yestiddy.

   On to more nonsense!  Wont be going to the Harley dealership today, besides being too wet, I have an emergency dentist appointment this morninfg in Bellville. Seems all the dentites around here, are either busy or closed. Not looking forward to it,  I hate going to the dentist, duh, who does?   One of the questions on their survey, "How  anxious are you about going to the dentist?  A: not at all. B: somewhat nervous: C: Very nervous?   I can add a D in there,  "PHREAKIN OUT" nervous !    I'm in enough pain already,  going to the dentist ensures I'm gonna have more. 

   I was thinking about buying a new shotgun.  I have moren a half dozen now, so what do I need with another on eh?   I dont really, but I use to bust them tough ol clay pigeons alot and I liked doing that, and was good at it.  If you could eat those pigeons, I'd have a warehouse load of em already filleted.

    Ok, time to walk the plank, walk the steps up the gallows, sit in ol sparkys chair, and head off to the dentist.   Man, I wish they could just put me under and I'd wake up next week!   Oh show a little backbone will ya!   I did show some backbone once, and it broke back in 14 or 15, so see where that got me.

    Keep the sun at your six and "ride boldly ride..."

Your frien and resident moaner, Cephus R hurtin esq 

Pat Brantley (Ross)

I think I caught up on everything except Donna Webb.  Did we ever get another report after she fell?  My two cents about the shape of our old neighborhood and haunts is - our memories are ours to keep.  My mother and father were born in 1910 and 1912.  They went through two world wars and a depression.  I didn't share their childhood memories (which sounded pretty amazing to me), but I have mine.  My favorite band was the Bobby Doyle Trio.  I loved folk singing/blues singing.  Of course I was illegally dancing to Bobby Doyle and at the Jester Lounge because the age was 21.  My date and I took Lightning Hopkins home one night.  He was famous in Houston at the time and he lived in a shack in 5th ward.  People outside Houston don't know the boundaries of the different wards.  
My daddy showed me the deed to our house to talk to me about racism when I was pretty young.  It said no blacks or Jews.  He said he was ashamed because he had been in a war defending people who were being kept out at home.  Teddy your Abraham Lincoln quote was great but    Lincoln didn't say it.  It was a minister.  Has anyone else wondered if there is a difference between a pastor and a minister?  Just always wondered.

now you're herding goats Beau!  I am amazed.  What's next - cats?  So sorry about the dentist.  I had an emergency appointment last month, but it was just getting a crown put back on.  I have enough crowns in my head to be queen of something.  They do have sedation dentistry but I think it's pretty expensive.  

I do pray for our nation to end the chaos.  We can decide legally and in order about removing statues.  Rioters destroying property should be in jail.  My older daughter called me during her first year of college to ask me I'd I would pay her bail if she were arrested for picketing outside an abortion clinic.  We are a very prolife family.  I told her No' because she should be willing to pay the price for breaking the law.  I feel that way about everyone who breaks the law because we are a nation of laws.

Beau Wann, Jr.

     HEY PAT ! ! !   What a breath of fresh air you are. Thank you for posting the things on your mind, and likely as not, we are of the same mind.   I survived the dentist ! ! !   Next time might not be so lucky, gotta have a root canal on my one good tooth.  I've had them before, and their not as bad as everyone makes out.  They're not a picnic in the park, but still not the terriblest thing in lifes bag O tricks.

    We do have a new dentist now, the Tippit Group in Bellville.  They have 3 offices, one in Houston, one in 'Brenham and the aforementioned.  Very nice folks !   I like Bellville bettern Chappell Hill, and Brenham. But alas, you cant always get what you want !   Wasnt there a song...   We looked around Bellville for something before we settled on Sam Wann Hill. 

     Our new dentist was talking to me about implants.  I voiced my concern about the discomfort after the joy juice wears off. He said it was less than having a tooth pulled.  Hmmmm....seriously thinging about having said implants.  They're probably real cheap arent they!   Ifin any of youse youtes have had inplants, I'd be grateful ifin you'd let me know how you like them or dislike them.  He explained it to me, and it sounded real plain and simple and good, but you have to remember it's me he was talking to, ol mr plain and simple and not necessarily good.

    Ok, gotta deplane, need to feed the pups and go down and lock the gate in that order. However, I'll be back ! ! !   I know, thanks for the warning eh !

See ya on the flip side....

Bennie Schielack

Beau, I have two implants.  One is a front tooth, damaged in an accident back around the time we moved from the '60's into the '70's.  Broke off the bottem quarter of both upper front teeth, but Dr. Stephen Burdick did a great job adding on some compound to the bottoms and they felt normal for many years.  Then about 7 years ago, one of those teeth broke off just under the gum line.  Had the root removed and the implant journey began.  First, the x-rays were sent from my local dentist to a specialist in Sugarland.  When I check in with them, I was told they did not take insurance, so I went to an "in-net" dentist who, after my interview with her, was a 14th century witch doctor.  Back to the specialist to just foot the bill.  Turns out I have to pay in full, then they will submit a claim to the insurance co for me, and then I'd get some $$$$ from the insurance co thru the dentist.  Cash out of pocket for one implant about $5000.  Insurance remitted about 4, so things were not so bad, until I found out the next step . . . . . I had to go to another dentist to get a tooth to place in the implant . . . . . then I had to go to a tooth maker for a color match.  Another $2000 later, I had a new front tooth, just slightly off color from the rest.  This was actually the second implant attempt.  The first failed because the bone between my sinus and gum line was too weak to hold an implant.  On to the third implant.  Very similar to the secnd and just as succesful.  I can still eat corn on the cob with no problem, but in retrospect, it might have been cheaper to have full dental implants done.

Pain wise, I do not remember taking any pain relief medications, but then again, when I had hernia surgery, I never took any of the prescirbed pain pills then, and only took one pain pill for one of my two knee surgeries.  I still have three full bottles of pain pills, but they are now way out of date.   

Good luck with your dental adventures . . . . .  (sorry about being Wann winded)

Teddie Jordan

Bennie, I had to have a good laugh after reading, then Rereading the last phrase in your comment. And I'll bet that old what's his name did too!

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

Hey, Pat.  Donna Webb Cummings is now living in Chetek, Wisconsin with her daughter, son-in-law and grandson until they all get resettled.  After Donna's fall, she was unable to get into a rehab facility (they think it was because of the overload from Covid patients).  So, her daughter, Corey, and her family were moving to Wisconsin to be close to Corey's husband's family and decided to take Donna with them.  Corey thought it would be easier to take care of Donna with help from her inlaws with her toddler son.  Corey's husband packed up Donna's home and they were putting it on the market.  I believe they are living with Corey's inlaws until they find a permanent residence.  They posted photos of Donna on FB showing them in a pontoon boat on a beautiful lake and Donna was all smiles.  Donna said the move and everything happening so quickly was certainly not expected, but she's "going with the flow."  

I know Fifth Ward - I was transferred from Waltrip to Wheatley 1970/71 when the teacher cross-over program began.  My parents and Charles said, "You will NOT teach at that school."  I bucked them all and it turned out to be one of the most "defining" times of my life.  My parents were some of the most prejudiced people around and I never understood their thinking and argued with them frequently about their bias.  Being at Wheatley was certainly a learning experience for me and opened my eyes - I have lots of tales that reflect on the Black administrators' role in holding Black students back in those days.  Even back then, the gates were locked during school hours to keep bad influences OUT of the school.  Teachers carried guns before "carry permits."   Police were on the grounds daily.  Back then, female teachers weren't allowed to teach while pregnant, so I didn't tell them I was carrying Betsy until after Thanksgiving and the principal allowed me to finish out the semester.

Beau, implants are good and bad - depends on your gum and bone structure.  Charles went through 2 attempts to attach the metal rod into his bone throughout a year's time and he developed such horrible infections that he was given antibiotic infusions over a month's time twice to kill out the infection.  They were never able to determine the cause and his doctor (top one in Dallas) wrote up Charles' case in medical journals hoping other doctors would share similar experiences - no other similar cases were reported.  So, Charles never got that implant finished.  I've had one implant with no problems.  I wasn't happy to wait the months between the extraction and the rest of the implant procedure, but I imagine that process has probably improved by now.  

Teddie Jordan

Cephus I had a tooth implant a little over a year ago, my first, with a good result. Being self employed we have never had any kind of dental insurance and it was well into 4 figures, but I still enjoy eating. As I recall the toughest part was being sore at the location where they cut and drilled into the jawbone and installed the post. As that healed the pain subsided, but the first couple of weeks were uncomfortable. The dr. prescribed a pain killer, but I never had the RX processed and normally don't. They had to wait about 3 months after that to install the new tooth to monitor the acceptance and healing of the bone graft. The reason I had it done was that after I had to have my last wisdom tooth pulled a couple of years before, the last wisdom left in my body, I was unable to chew in that part of my mouth which caused  extra wear on the other side. They cut out the wisdom tooth at 11AM, and we were able to get to Richard McCauleys's beautiful memorial service which was at 1pm that day. My prayer was to get through that service without having to get up and leave it to spit, which thanks to a big wad of gauze I did. Just wasn't my normal chatty self. Anyway, I am glad now that I did it.

Beau, I am sorry  that I hurt your feelings commenting as I did on Bennie's joke. My comment was inappropriate!

I talked to Dennis Dorsey on the phone last night and he asked me to extend his regards. He  told me how much he enjoys reading about everyone's life in these crazy times. He said that when he reads the In Memory comments he never fails to shed tears. And I told him we all do our share of the same. But continue to read and honor those precious memories and lives!

Pat Brantley (Ross)

I had a cap on a front tooth.  Evidently I got a cavity I never felt and the cap came flying off during dinner.  Almost a year later I finally had my implant finished.  This was almost two years ago.  That implant cost more than my first two cars!  I didn't want to keep returning to my beloved dentist in Houston so I saw my daughter's dentist.  I think he is the most expensive in the hill country.  I have since found one who is much more reasonable in pricing.  She is good too.  Wearing a retainer painted to look like a tooth at my age was strange.  It did make me look like I had not lost my tooth but it caused a more pronounced lisp.  Oh well.  I wasn't trying to find a boyfriend at a sock hop.  When the dentist starting explaining the bone chip part I said "we can just call it cadaver bone". He was rather startled that I knew the source of the bone.  I told him that it was not my first implant and I understood the procedure.  I should have been talking money instead of skeletons.  Learning experience.

Jimmie Lee I think it's great that you went against the fears of others to teach at Wheatley.  When I started driving my daddy gave me a map with red zones.  They were mostly the Latino gangs around Laura Koppe.  I didn't find that street until I was in my 30s.  Thanks for the information about Donna.  She is one of the sweetest souls I have ever met.  She was a neighbor.  There was a family who rented a house on our street.  They had two daughters and they were dirt poor.  The girls took turns wearing one pair of church shoes each Sunday.  Donna gave them some of her clothes.

i told my daddy when I found out and we left a pair of shoes on their porch one night.  I don't know if they wore them or gave them to their church.  They were very religious.  I went with them one Sunday.  It was a small Pentecostal church on Crosstimbers.  I enjoyed visiting other churches because I thought ours was boring.  Theirs was not boring but I had to go home to ask questions about the service.  

Scotty Croom

went thru power outage last week..lasted about an hour...remember going to hs game at dome many years ago,waltrip had late game..early one was yates and sterling..cheerleaders came thru crowd to sell support buttons,i bought one and the girls thanked me for supporting team...that area near uh was middle class working folks ..milenials ? now want us to pay for mistakes of 200 yrs ago..i know teddy was there,then..but i wasnt...

Tom Faria, Jr.

Good morning Beau,

I'll chime in.

Over 55 years I had a root canal / implant on a molar I cracked on a shotgun pellet.  I have not had any problems with the implant per se. 

At the time novocain was the standard and it did not work well for me.  It was the most physically painful experience that I have ever had.  Have them use plenty of the strong stuff. 

Take care,

Beau Wann, Jr.

shhhhhhhhhh thsi si boz kat.  mr grumpy is uot wterin tha gradren so im tkaing this time to say mr grumpy is just grumpy becuaes of the presnent i lef on his pilo, wel he stpedd on mi tale, so wht gos rond cums rond...uh oh, mr grumpys comin in...HYDE...

    Ok, I see little miss has been doing her impression of "kitten on the keys" that wascal.  Dont believe a woid of what she says, or at least not all of it, she's always high on katnip.  You know,  Having 2 girl dogs and one girl cat sleeping with me is not exactly what I had in mind when I said,  "I'mj going to surround myself with lovely girls..."     Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.  Dont say, "boy, I wish I had a million bucks.."  well, you know the rest of that story dontchew!  

     Hey TJ,  I'm sorry that I gave you the impression that you mighta hurt my  feelings.  Knowing you, I dont think there is anything you could do that would cause me to get mad at you.  "you can burn my house, steal my car, drain my liquor from the old fruit jar, but uhuh, dont step on my blue suede shoes..."  Of all the folks on this oith I'd not want to hurt, it would be youse.   

            Speaking of Dennis Dorsey, if he's commentied once, he's said it moren once,   "Teddys the finest man I've ever known".  I believe that could be extended to include Dennis hisownself, and just about any one in our class and surrounding classe, the list would be long.

        I was just feeling grumpy because my whole head hurt from the tooth ache, and the Myalgia sisters are back from their scandinavian cruise,  Poly,  Holly and Molly, and they brought their mama, By Golly.  "The bitch is back"......I know TJ knows what I'm talkin about.

     Had the root canal on my one good tooth, yestiddy,  and Doc Holliday said it's a good thing I did cause that tooth had died, or was in the process of dying.  He said there was no blood when he commenced to drillin on it!

     You want blood?   Hells bells doc, just come around my house anytime, any day of the week,  and I'll show you blood!  If I aint bleedin at the end of the day, then it hasnt been a productive day!   Just the other day, Dixie Bellle stepped on my arm and drew blood with her claws, and we were just giving her a bath, and then I cut the same arm on some barb wire on the fence I was a fixin...you want blood?   Come to my house, "there will be blood...". I believe there was a movie of the same title.

    The good Doc and one of his techs spent the better part of 2 ud vun haf hours on just that one tooth, and to the tune of $2500 dollars, FOR ONE TOOTH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! ! ! ! !   Good thing I have good insurance       One of those transplants costs $5000 dollars, so I dont think I'll get that done this year,  maybe in the year 9595, "if man is still alive, if woman can survive..."  Sorry, my life has shirley been influenced my music, and dont call me shirley.

    You may have noticed a lapse in time between paragraphs, well, tha's because I'm waterin my trees.  The tree people said that they should be watered 5 minutes a day eve3ry day, so that's what i'M DOING.
Teddy and Fran brought us 2 Red Maple tree saplings when we first moved in, and they are now about 15 ft tall and flourising.  I love the red maple for shure.  Thanks again TJ and Fran!

   Hey Scotty, we had a power outage here Monday for about an hour.  We, all three dogs, the cat, and my beloved had just lay down for a nap, had the fans running as I am want to do, (cant sleep without one going in my ear because of tinnitis) when all of a sudden everything went deathly quiet, with the exception of the ringing in me ears.   "Ok, that's not good", I says to myself and anyone else around. Notice how sharp I am on observations.      The dogs and cat didnt seem to care, but my beloved got up, seems I['ve ruined her too, she has to have a fan running as well.

     Diane got on line to check with the eclectric company, BLUEBONNET, and they said that everyone was out from Chappell Hill to the river north of 290 up to fm 1481, about 3500 people.    Seems a snake crawled into our substation transformer and blew a fuse, not to mention fried the snake, GOOD RIDDANCE.  Dont know what kind of snake it was, probably a "titanoboacobra"...  SEEE, SNAKES ARE BAAAAAAAD !    If they dont bite you, they knock out your power, ha! 

       Speaking of which I dispatched another copperhead that was inside the compound fence.  He, she, it was so large I had to hit him with two rounds of my 38spl.  Now, just waiting on his or her mate to rear it's ugly head, yuk and shudder.  AH HATE SNAKES AND SPIDERS,  killed two t-rexantulas last week. My beloved killed one that was after one of the dogs, and I killed another trying to do the same think with Izzydorable.  Cheeky devils !

    I'm serriously thinking about selling this place and moving to a highrise, somewhere without snakes or spiders.  In fact, saw one for sale in new york city overlooking central park.  they only wanted a paltry sum of 73 million for it, ha, I'll just write em  a check out of petty cash....HOA fees are 4K a month !!!!!   Cant imagine having that much money at my disposal.

       Saw a show on channel 387 called AWE, (a wealth of entertainment), where a young couple from the middle east was looking at several houses in the 90210 zip code, Beverly hills.  they liked two of the houses, one for 74 mil and the other a paltry 19 mil.  When asked by the host which one they would choose, the young mans reply.  "we'll get both of them".   Saw the same thing happen in Florida, a lady was looking at a home on a golf course for umpteen mil and also a high rise penthouse that took up two of the top floors for umpteen mil.  When asked which one she chose, she said both.  Why? Because I can she said!

    Ok, time to deplane and take my grumpiness to the store and see who I can piss off. 
Keep the sun at your six and "ride boldly ride..." clyde ! ! !

Your frien and resident grump, Cephus R A Krazoid esq

Beau Wann, Jr.

     It's me again Margaret...I'm just a tad late getting on here, started to get on last week and just couldnt muster up the desire to do anything that required any thought at all.  The Myalgia triplets, Polly, Holly and Molly and their evil morther By Golly been beating on me like I was a drum.   The saying, "PMR causes PMS" is true. Been grumpier than hungry bear in spring.

    Tried on half dozen pair of glasses, and cannot see what I'm typing, so I had to bump up the type size to 20, and even that is suspect.  Turned 75, and went to hell in a handbasket.  Well, already had one foot in that ol basket anyhoo.  What is a hand basket anyway?   Something you put your hands in?  I dont have any extra hands to help around here, let alone chunk em in a basket.

     Killed another copperhead, and this one was under my rocking chair on the back porch.   If Izzy hadnt alerted me, it woulda bit me on the foot and Ida died for sure.  Yall be careful out there, lots a unsavory critters looking for water.  

     See how things work out, if Izzy's  previous owners hadnt moved away and left her tangled up in the creek and I hadnt found her, I'd be dead for sure from snakebite.  That aint a pleasant thought ! ! !   So an extra helping of Filet Mignon for that fine pup for sure.

     Now the farm and ranch report:  Got three ears of corn out of the garden, and cucumbers that look like crookneck squash.  I took the wascally wabbit fence down because we hadnt seen any wabbits trying to get in anyhow.  Why should they, aint nothing edible in there anyway. 

      The livestock situation has changed somewaht, the three goats, Winken Blinken and Nod have moved to another pasture in Waller County.  The red aberdeen bull has been stomping around bellowing like an, an,....old red bull. Dont know if he's announcing to the "girls" that he's available, or just out hollaring for the heck of it, you know how us guys are...AROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...

     And now the weather, whether you want it or not...IT'S HOT, DANG HOT, had 106 yesterday and 103 today, musta been a cold front come in, eh what?   Sure could use some wrain ! ! !

    Well I had nothing to say before I got on here, and sure nuff, I said it.  Guess I'll depart and deplane and cease and desist, so, keep the sun at your six and "ride boldly ride..."

   Your frien and resident blind person, Cephus R Magoo esq 

Frank Lynn

Congratulations to Brad Seals for his recent election as president of the Austin University Area Rotary Club for the 2020/2021 year. Brad was one of the founding members of the club almost forty-years ago. Rotary International, with a membership of 1.22 million people, is an international service organization whose stated purpose is to “bring together business and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian service and to advance goodwill and peace around the world. Brad continues to practice law here in Austin.”

Teddie Jordan

Thank you for letting us know of this Frank. Bradley, that is quite an honor! I always enjoy catching up with you at our functions Brad!

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Yes, congratulations to Brad on being a leader in that fine organization. I know when one gets to that level, it is quite an accomplishment and a testament to a fine character and work ethic, not to mention super intelligence.    I know of one other of our classmates that is an active Rotarian.   He and his wife invited Diane and I to a luncheon honoring veterans.

       I started to say I cant remember when it was, but now it comes to mind, veterans day of last year. DUH! ! !    There was one WWII vet, and one Korean vet, and I think 2 or three from vietnam, and a few from Afganistan and Iraq, as well as numerous active duty soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines.  It was a fine event put on by the Rotary club.   Beautiful surroundings, fine food and finer company. 

     Wish I could remember  more about it, other than the blinding rain storm we drove in to get there,  and the fact I couldnt hear, hearing aids or no.  Sure does get lonesome in the   "cone of silence"    sometimes. To say  my dad was not a social person is putting it mildly,   but when he lost his hearing,  he completely  withdrew from the world altogether. Now I know how he felt.    You want to be a part of things, but the sad part is, you're not, no matter how hard you try.   I guess that's why I really really love "the forum" here on the Waltrip webstie.  I dont have to have ears, just eyes and fingers.  I do love it when others post on it.

    I've never been a leader, except by example.  "Lead, follow, but get the hell out of the way" is I  believe the eloquent  way General George S Patton put it.   I'm not a delegater, just a doer.  I think I was platoon leader, or company comander some 50 60 years ago, but there, you just have to appear fearless and appear to know what you're doing and not get your people in a bad situation.  Dont remember how that turned out.

    I do know how the weather turns out, HOT, DANG HOT.   I think our weather station here at CHIMACS,  has developed a slight glitch of sorts.  It says that the all time high temp of 158 was recorded on July 6th, 2020, and that the all time low was -32 on July 7th.   I know this is Texas, and the old saying of "if you dont like the weather, wait a minute" comes to mind, but even those aforementioned highs and lows are just a touch radical.  Dont hold me to it, and I'm keeping an open mind about it,   but I'm thinking the instrument of temperature measurement is just a tad off.  Time to get out the "fine tune hammer of adjustment" tool.

     All's quiet on the western front here, animals all bonkers, kitty still grumpy about something, dogs running amok and in circles rearanging the throw rugs and runners and generally being obnoxious from time to time.   We had to buy 2 more long runners so Jack could traverse from one place to another in the house without sliding down.  We had some left over from Coopers era and added a couple more for Jack since he's not only lame, he's blind and almost deaf.  He still acts happy, so putting him down is not an immediate solution, yet.   Dr. Phillips will let us know when that sad event will have to take place.  Kills my soul...!!!!!

    The crop report, well, the crop is crap.  Dont have a clue why we cant grow anything up here except older. The corn is from the 7 dwarfs garden, the onions have not grown at all, the jalopeno plant died, all other pepper plants, banana, bell, pimento,etc just sitting there,  butternut squash died, crookneck squash just sitting idle,  cucumbers look like gourds and squash, watermelons kaput, lettuce and carrots didnt come up at all.  We have a climbing spinach, that is climbing, but not putting out many leaves.    Sure thankful we dont have to rely on our garden to eat, but would have loved to at least gotten some use out of all that work and expense.

     The tomatos are of the 7 dwarf variety even though they say they are "gigantic" on the label.  Not many are larger than a pingpong ball.  The sweet 100s are prolific and are suppose to be small and sweet, and they did not disappoint.   We had a wonderful garden when we lived out in Hearthstone, in the city.  Move to the country, and it's kaputsville!   Got a nice crop of weeds though, really proud of those babies fer shure.

    I took down the rabbit proof fence, thought maybe the rabbits could profit from what we couldnt, but heck far, the rabbits wont even go in the garden.  What does that  tell you?   Musta put the garden on an old indian burial ground or somethign.  Maybe old aliens from the planet remulac are buried there, who knows?  The shadow knows, and he aint sayin ! ! !

   Well, shucky darn,  times a wastin, I'm burnin daylight, so time to deplane, depart, desist and get the heck outta heah...Keep the sun at your six and "ride boldly ride, the shade replied, if you seek for Eldorado."

Your frien and resident horticulturist, Cephus R no green thumb esq.   

Pat Brantley (Ross)

It is illegal to feed the deer inside the city limits.  I know feeding them just helps create more of them, but it is hot and the construction crews just keep clearing more of their habitat to build more roads, etc.  I have a fence but the poor deer still come up to our side patio and eat my plants.  Last night there were two staring at the cat through our window.  I put deer corn and water out for them.  No one can see into this part of the yard.  I have never been a law breaker, but these poor critters are dying from the heat and lack of food.  Am I creating a bigger problem?  I really want to know.  We have red foxes and everyone leaves food for them.  
beau i think your weather station needs a little tlc.  It is too hot for plants to grow without lots of water.  I even got a sun shade to help my plants.  Right now it is just guarding the hibiscus from the deer.
what did you decide to do about your tooth?  

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Hey Pat,  I dont think you are adding to the deer population problem at all.  Might get some argument from a wild life manager or game warden, but I see no reason for not feeding and watering whichever aminal is out there, cept maybe skunks and snakes and TI rantulas.   I put out a couple hundred pounds of feed, soy, milo, sunflower seeds and roasted corn and a mineral block for the deer or which ever critter will benefit. Also have a 50 gallon water trough, ( why isnt it spelled troff?)  Mrs Simpson never covered that, and if she did, I was busy looking out the winder (east texas for window) wishing I was outside among the trees and wildlife.  Teddy told me that 75% of all deer, dont make it, and we still have a huge deer population.

    We also have wild sunflowers growing that the deer meander through and eat the seeds.  Cant grow sunflower from package seeds, but will take what we can get.   We are only a mile or so from the river as the crow flies, and our creek goes down to the river so the deer should have plenty of water even though I put some out just in case the river drys up.  Boy, hope that never happens.  We've had a doe and fawns come by just about every day.  The fawns are so tiny, looks like they are just a couple days old, or a week at best. also have a large deer herd that frequents downtown Chappell Hill almost everyday. 

    Come fall, I'll plant austrian winter peas and rye.  Already have perenial rye out, it comes back every year.  Deer love the aforementioned.   Diane says some of the ladies in the CHgarden club complain about the deer eating their roses and such.  We have plenty of roses, and so far, no deer in the rose garden. Of course if they were to jump the fence, Izzy and Dixie would have a fit and chase them away.  They dont like any other critters on their property.  Today they chased away a murder of crows.  Dont know what that many crows were doing on our hill, cept maybe eating grasshoppers and cricckets.  They werent bothering the corn or anything in the garden.  Guess it's just one of lifes little mysteries.

     I've not seen any red foxes, but have a/some beautiful grey ones that come through from time to time.  Their tails are so bushy, but you gotta be careful about them and skunks, because they are the most prone to be carrying rabies.   The wildlife folks have flown around in their twin engine planes with the orange tail and dropped food laced with anti-rabies vaccine.   Probably just a couple hundred feet off the ground.

    One thing I have seen plenty of, in fact too many, are copperheads and other snakes.  Killed three Copperheads the last 3 weeks, one up on the back porch under my rocking chair.  Saw several black snakes out behind the waltrip banquet and daince hall up here on the hill just last night.  I didnt have my glasses on or I woulda blasted em.   It's a good thing I carry a small snub nose 38spl  loaded with snake shot.  You dont really need to be a good shot with that ammo, it spreads out the moment it leaves the barrel.  I did have to shoot twice at one of the copperheads, guess he was a tough old son of a gun.  I dont enjoy having to kill anything, but I'd rather it be them than me or mine.

     I've decided not to to have the transplanted teeth,  I like soft food anyhow.  Speaking of food, I was in the library perusing one of the magazines we get and the best foods you can eat are from the G-BOMB variety.  Forgot what that acronym means, but it contains greens as in green beans, broccoli etc, and the B are other varieties of beans, O is onions, and M is mushrooms and dont recollect what the last B means, but all those vegies ward off a plethora of problems with the heart, colon, and most everything else.  And as luck would have it,  those are all the things I generally eat everyday.   It didnt mention yellow veggies such as squash, but I love it.  It's almost like a dessert for me.  

     It's G-BOMBS, greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries and seeds/nuts, ha, see I did remember.

     Speaking of good health, just had my "medicare wellness exam last week, and I'm the picture of good health.  All numbers are good, colesterol good and bad, heart rate 120/70  pulse 55 bpm,  just lots of pain, which I now rather enjoy.  Well, not enjoy so much, but when I dont hurt, which is rare,  I start to thinking, "ok, what's wrong now?"

        The questions they ask like, "do you feel safe at home", "are people afraid to ride with you" " are you afraid of falling down"?   among other questions.  I always crack some joke,  being me, you can well imagine that I might.   I always tell them what they dont want to hear, "im probably safer in my home than anyone", "people have ALWAYS been afraid to ride with me", "and I'm not afraid of falling down as much as I am of when I hit the ground".   I keep my doc in stitches, no pun intended.  He is the best doc I have ever encountered, even bettern Dr Gould, rest his soul.

    Rode my harley to college station for an oil change.  Man, are they ever busy. took em 2 hrs and 45 minutes.  Dont mind waiting at the Harley dealership, lots of doodads to peruse and get to talk to other bikers etc.  Lots of new bikes and products out there since I bought mine 15 years ago.  Diane met our grandaughter up there to have lucnh and go "girlie shopping".   I think girls have more fun than guys, because yall make many friends and generally keep em throguhout life.  Guys not so much, at least this guy anyway.  It's not something I wanted, anti- social distancing, just somehow worked out that way.  But I'm blessed beyond all belief anyway.

     Saw a great documentary on  Annie Oakley on PBS last night.  Said it was made in naught 6.  I'd always been an admirer of hers, and learned a lot of things I didnt know.  She wasnt this rough and tumble character that is portrayed in movies, but remained a "respectible Lady" her entire life even thought the really very evil randolp hearst tried to ruin her.  She sued him and 55 other newspapers that didnt retract the false story, and won.  I'm going to be looking for the biography of her  in book form if it exists, and the 3 books that Libby Custer wrote about her husband George A Custer.  Just have to get round tuit.

    Here's something else just in case any of youse youtes are interested, having nothing to do but stay at home,,,,, get on youtube, and type in "moonlight sonata 3rd movement" or just Moonlight sonata.  Anyway, there are a plethora of soloists, and orchestras, and evne a choir that play it.  I watched one played by Anastasia H on the piano, and then another piano that runs the actuall written music across the screen whilst the pianist is playing.  I can site read, but not anywhere close to how fast that is played.  Looked like Bethoven was trying to outdo Paganini and his 5th caprice and whoever wrote the "William Tell Overture". I use to know, but for the life of me caqnt remember just who it was.  I'll think of it later maybe...Rossini, that's who.

     Anyway, watch and listen to it on piano, then type in Tina S, and it will bring up a young lady from france that plays it on the guitar, and it will blow your mind.  She's 17 there!  I first saw her play Paganinis 5th caprice when she was 13, you know the tune, the one where Ralph Machio defeats the devils guitar player (steve vai), in the movie Crossroads, . OMG...Prodigy, genius, master, wizard, I dont know what word would accurately discribe her, but she was voted best Female guitarist on earth.  Dont know who votes on these things, but I'd have to vote her best guitarist, male or female.   She just turned 21 !  

    There's another piano player from Australia that at 16 made it to the finals of australias got talent, but didnt win.  He made up the music on the spot every time it was his time to compete.  Mozart comes to mind when watching Chooka Parker.  Just something to do when it's so hot outside and youre not suppose to go out and mingle among the masses. 

     It reached 107 here today ! ! !  I'm thinking of moving to either the north pole or south pole whichever is furtherest from the heat.  It's brutal out there! ! !   duh,  right?

Well, sorry for being so "wann winded", but yall are my only friends and outlet for conversation.  So I'll deplane and degoaway...keep the sun at your six and "ride boldly ride..."

your frien and resident chatty charlie, Cephus R sleepy esq because its 12:20 AM   

Bennie Schielack

Beau, Good to know you are healthy and enjoying the pain, or at least used to it . . . . . Just this past week, I've begun to reread Marine Sniper, and it is such an interesting view of activity in Viet Nam.  I spent 6 years working on C 119's and C 130's in Ellington, Texas.  

Just potted up some t maters in 5 gal buckets, and neighbor gave me a run down avacodo tree, about 6 feet tall and wilting badly.  Hope TLC and Superthrive can bring it thru the heat.  Turned up a small section of a flower bed early this AM, before the sun came out and things heated up.  Washed the car as the sun was breaking thru and yes, the temp seemed to jump.  Worked on the rent house a bit, painted first coat on 2 doors and door sills, tightened up some loose shelving, cleaned some so they will be ready for paint tomorrow, then went to Sarah's mom's house and mowed her 2 acre lot.  

I have a '95 Chevy PU 350 that does not want to run all the time.  Changed the fuel filter and the pump is doing it's job.  (brings to mind an old joke about generators, carborators and pistons).  Throttle body seems to not be receiving fuel.  It works sometimes, and not at others.  I'm beginning to think it might be electrical.  I don't know electrical and I don't want to.

Hope you were not offened by my "Wann winded" joke.  Knowing you are a Gemini also, I felt you would see the humor in it.  Also hope you continue to use it.

Curious . . . . . does Chicken Fried Steak always come with gravy?  Today, mine came without and the best restaurant in town was also out of Sweet n low.  Fortunately, I carry extra in all of my vehicles, along with Tabasco, just in case. 

I'll be seeing the dental genius tomorrow.  One cavity to be filled, one cap to be super glued and one tooth to be removed. 

Another curiosity . . . . . is WW contageous ? ? ? ? ? 

Pat Brantley (Ross)

Beau, we all have our fears.  Mine are roaches and rats.  By roaches I mean those tree roaches that fly!  I have killed copperheads with a machete.  Snakes don't really scare me.  I guess if it was a coral snake I would run.  Spiders are usually afraid.  I did see a brown recluse bite once at the clinic.  My younger daughter got bitten by an asp in our backyard.  Not the snake - the black caterpillar.  She was in quite a bit of pain.  She was about 5.  She had no more good sense than me.  We considered ourselves fearless (except the roaches).  She took it to the next level of stupid when she tried to save the life of a bat.  Her dog had it cornered in her apartment.  She had left the patio door open.  She was bitten and had to go through the rabies shots.  I told her that the dog had a rabies vaccination and she didn't.  She reminded me of one of her childhood favorites 'Stella Luna' about a bat.  
i tried to kill the copperheads when they were still young.  We lived in an inexpensive duplex when ron was in school in Utah.  It had a fireplace.  The people who lived in the place upstairs had heat and air conditioning.  We didn't but it was Utah on the side of a hill.  They were having their fireplace cleaned and sent the guy downstairs to do ours too.  Very nice people.  The man told me to take my baby and dog outside so I did.  He came out in 10 minutes to tell me I had the biggest nests of black widow spiders he had ever seen.  He fumigated the entire place.  I never saw a live one, but I saw lots of dead ones that day.  Should have had a cat.  
I am sorry about your pain.  I think the heat makes our joints swell even more.  It was 107 here today.  Friday it is supposed to get below 100.  

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Hey Bennie and Pat, thank you for responding.  I love to hear what others are doing, I know what I'm doing, so dont need to hear it.  Bennie, sounds like your solenoid on the side of the starter, if that's where they still put them.  Had a 64 malibu super sport convertible that had the same problem.  When it gets hot, the center pole on the solenoid separates from the rest of the corntraption, then stop running and wont start.  When it cools off, it will start and run.  Probably needs a new one.   Also check your center wire from the distributor to the other corntraption that I cant remember the name of.  Some times they vibrate loose and no fire.    Had a volkswagon that did that.  Just got a longer wire. 

      Sounds like your're busier than I am busy.  If you run out of things to do, just head on down to the Wanndarosa in chappellhillsville.  Got a cold drink or two with your name on it.  Got cold drinks with everyones name on it, so come on down.   

     Got a dentist appt in Bellville Wednesday at hah noon to put a permanent cap on my tooth.   I'vve had numerous root canals, and the dentist never told me to come back to have em capped. I thought he was through.  They eventually shattered and I lost the teeth, the bozo idjified moron.  I mean, howm I suppose to know if they dont tell me?

     Hey Pat, I hate spiders and snakes and pretty much all them kind of crittervarmits.   I got stung by an asp over on DuBarry under one of the oak trees next to our driveway.  Stung me on the inner thigh and man it burned like fire.   Had to keep ice on it for a hunert years seems like.  I think I was 7 ro 8.

     Another time I was running amok, as I was want to do, I was running barefoot playing cowboys and idnians,( oh my gosh, you probably cant do that anymore, or even say it)  Ok, I didnt !   Anyway yall remember the wooden fence that the builder attached to the houses back then, and made it look like it was part of the house because it matched in wood and paint.

    Anyway, to make a long story even longer, I valuted over it and caught a splinter under my big toenail on my right foot.  Went all the way to the quick.  I limped around for a few days till finally I was asked why I was limping.   "Me Limping?  Nah, just your imagaination"  I knew it was a trip to Dr Gould, and sho nuf wound up there.   I cried cause he cut my toenail and toe to pull that log out of my toe, I think I was 6.  I even bled.  I think that office visit cost 2 dollars or one chicken.

     Visited the good Dr Gould many times over the years.  Before he retired, he saw 4 generations of my family.  Great bedside manor he had.  He never took insurance, so an office visit right b efore he retired cost 35 dollars.  broke my arm back in 59 and he xrayed it, set t, put a cast on it, all for 7 dollars or bushel of corn.  Ruff and tumble idjit for sure was I.   Mostly just an idjit.

    My mom and sisters all sewed and my oldest was using the old singer when she ran the needle through her right index finger at the first joint from the end.  Off to Dr Goulds she and my dad went.  Dont know what that cost, probably a lamb or side of beef.

    Speaking of injuries, got a new one for youse youtes,  Torn bicep muscle.  Yup, tore my right bicep tendon loose from where it joins at the inside of the elbow.  Dont know how I did it, but woke up and bicep was black, like a hamstring pull.  Had a plethora of those playing softball.  I always got one when I stretched before a game.  and generally pulled it rounding third headin for home.   I quit stretching, didnt get another.

    Bak to the bicep problem, I cant pick up my cat without major discomfort. My doc Dr Frahnkensteen, says it will heal eventually, but never be back to normal, oh that's just great, that' all I need.   Cant wind my mantel clock, or use the can opener, which is another thing.  Why do we still have a manual can opener?   We've never had an electric can opener.  I asked the brains of the outfit, my beloved, and she didnt know .   

    I feel depraved ! ! !   No, that's deprived.  Well, depraved, deprived, tomato tomahto, potato patahto...I may have to get an electric can opener because I cant use the manual one  with my right hand, and my left hand is pretty useless.  I guess it's just there for balance, and for talking!  When I try to do it left ahnded, I can get it started sort of, but then the can falls all over the place depositing whaatever liquid there WAS in the can.  And of course that's not good ! ! !   What does an electrical can opener cost these days?   Which one is a good one? 

     Have switched watering to in the evening.  We had 109 today with a heat index of 133, I kid you knot.   You can water something in the morning, and it's bone dry in 30 minutes.   Richard said he had s107 on his patio over on carleen street.  He has lots of trees, being in Oak Forest, and it was still 107, jeese loueese that's just mean!

     Well, guess I'll deplane, getting late.  Little Miss is in my lap trying to get on the keyboard to play "kitten on the keys" .  Wish yall could meet her, she is so sweet, cept when she's grumpy.  That makes sense doesnt it?  Nah, she really isnt grumpy, she just wants to be in my arms all the time.  Cant blame her for that now can we!  I am one lovable and cuddlely dude.  Well, maybe that's a stretch, but my cat loves me.

     Keep the sun at your six or behind a mountain of trees, and "ride boldly ride..."

    Your frien and resident one armed man,  Cephus R long winded fer shure...esq

Post script:  yes WW is contagious, mask or no mask, so dont fight it. No known cure.

Bennie Schielack

Beau, back from our dentist.  I call him "hands" after a dude that drove a '55 chevy back in the day.  He was called "hands" also, because he could cover the steering wheel with one open hand.  Had an old filling removed and enlarged . . . . . I will enjoy more pain from mesquito bites on the golf course later today.  

Your adventures reminded me of two times I really wanted to avoid, but did not.  Once upon a time, along about '56 or '57, I was ordered to mow the grass.  Our old mower was always difficult, so I asked my dad to help start it.  He did just that, (remember in those days, barefoot was standard issue), then he pushed down on the handle, moved it over my foot and set it down.  Cut the end of my big toe off.  After many youthful and colorful words, I was in the front seat of our '49 Plymouth with my foot wrapped in a bloody towel on the way to Spring Branch hospital.  Doctor Nearsight checked the toe, viewed the end of the bone and proceeded to inject some pain killer.  Then he took a turn on my upper, inner thigh.  Back to the toe, he pushed it with a needle and ask if I could feel it.  I told him yes and he said I was lying.  I was not.  Then he took to slicing skin from close to the area he deadened on my thigh.  I shared some colorful language with the Doc, too.  Since that time, when I went to measure for shoes, I've always had to measure the left foot because my right one is just a tad shorter.

A year or so later, or sometime thereabouts, my twin neighbors and I spent many hours each summer @ the Oak Forest pool.  One day, I forgot my towel or something @ the pool, and I was in a hurry to get back and rescue it before someone liberated it.  I must have been distracted by something, because I hit the curb on DuBarry and Woodcrest, flipped off my bike and inflicted road rash on my unclothed upper body.  Fore head, left shoulder and left chest area were eaten by the old asphalt street.  Not one of my more enjoyable adventures.  

Thanks to your previous post, these memories have come screaming back to me.  Sure do miss the "good ol' days" . . . . . 

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Hey Bennie, so, idjification wassnt just relagated to ME !   Or bad luck with ones body!  Man, just reading your maladies made me hurt and cringe. 

    The young mans name known as "HANDS",  was August Hartkopf.  He was 22 at the time I saw him down at the Gay Pontica drag strip in Dickenson.  He could pick up a 15 inch drag slick across the treads with one hand. They, whoever they is, also say a silver dollar could pass through his ring size. He also wore a ponytail, and granny glasses, and for some reason back in the 60s, it didnt look out of place on him.    He was a wizard at carburation/fuel injection.  Once again, they say, he could tune a carburator or FI with his fingernail rather than using a screwdrivber.  He drove a white 55 chevy with just the iron maltese cross symbol of Schneider Cams on the left front quarter panel of his fender.

    He had some childhood malady that made him that large, and supposedly wasnt long for this world.  Hope they were wrong.  Of course he would be in his 80s today.

Johnny Sheffield

Good morning to all my waltrip classmates this morning. 
just wanted to let you all know that allen geiser no 34 pass away 
last night in Kingwood Texas. Prayers go out to betty and 

family  no other details at this time  

johnny

Teddie Jordan

Thank you for letting us know Johnny, but so sorry to hear that sad news.