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Beau Wann, Jr.

Red Ryder you say???? The actor Don "Red" Berry played him in the early 1940s...horses name? Thunder, Cyclone...
Jim Bannon played Red Ryder 1949-1950...horses name??? Thunder...

yippee kiyaa...and yeeha...

Ane then there's "Little Beaver", played by several children, most notabbly Robert Blake, who had a TV series about a detective, whose name escapes me at this very moment...dang, almost had it...dont you just hate that, got a name on the end of your tongue, but cant quite come up with it...I think it was an eyetalian name like...Fuddruckers...he had a cockatiel named...????

oh well, one of youse youtes will know who and what I am talking about...someone should, cause I dont...Blake was on trial for allegedly killing his wife...but was acquitted...Bronson???? no....bronchitis???? no... give it up man, you aint gonna think of it till midnight when nobody cares...they dont care now, so give it up...ok, fine...gonna go chunk stuff in the cement pond...

Happy Trails to ya...DOD

I GOT IT...BARETTA...TA DA...

Jackie Crowe (Finch)

Ah, yes the rodeo at Coliseum!  Fond times and also brings back a lot of memories of the year Guard girls ushered.  What an experience, remember girls?

Jimmie Lee, would love to see your DVD - do you have anyone that can load it to YouTube?

Beau, I feel your exhaustion from remodeling.  Not an easy project - there are things I need done at my house, but keep putting off exactly for that reason!

Okay I'm trying again to download the rest of Fuddrucker July 10 pictures - wish me luck!

We're having another Clay gathering on Saturday, October 20 thanks to Johnny.  Mark you calendars and I will send out reminders and post on website.

Hugs,

J

Jim Taylor

Teddie Jordan

Good for Johnny and good for us all on another Clay's get together. It will be much cooler and more pleasant then.

Thank you Jackie for all of your time and efforts spent creating and maintaining this website, managing the pictures and all.

Burge, the picture you posted of the little girl and the awesome sea creature is truly one of wonderment, in both directions through the glass. I keep going back and enjoying it. I have seen that awesome creature before but please refresh my memory, what is it called?

And Beaucephus, you remembered Beretta, even if is is spelled slightly different, because they make some pretty nice shotguns too.

Beau Wann, Jr.

Hey Teddie, yes, they make fine sporting equipment for the marksman, lawr enforcement,  hunter and clay pigeon enthusiast...never could get one of them clay doves tenderized enough to eat...and if memory serves me correctly, the creature in question is a MANATEE...Just happened to see a show on them on the aminal planet or a facsimile thereof...I was thinkink about gettin one for the cement pond...that or an alligator...

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

Jackie, regarding the DVD on Youtube, the portions of it with Roy & Dale & Gene Autry are amongst many "Smith Family Memories" that I seriously doubt anyone else would be interested in.  If someone can figure out how to get just those portions off those DVDs  and copied onto another one, I assume we could post it.  I know my son posts videos on Facebook all the time, so I'll ask him.  In case you want to see the happiest 4-month old baby girl in the world being entertained by her 11-year old cousin, catch it on my Facebook page - hilarious!

Teddie Jordan

Beau you're right, you can't eat those clay birds. My middle grandson Will, who is 11, loves to hunt and fish like his old grandad, and he has also fallen in love with shooting clay birds. And he is quickly becoming a better shot than me. Earlier this week we were down in Freer and I pulled trap for him and he went through a box of clay targets and several boxes of shotgun shells in no time. But it was fun for both of us. Here is a picture of him on his first real dove hunt last September, and Gus at the ready to do the retrieving. Will did all of the shooting that afternoon and we had enough birds for a good meal that night, each stuffed with a banana pepper and a hunk of cheese and wrapped in a slice of bacon and grilled on a hot bed of coals. Good stuff.

But just to be clear, for any bunny huggers we may have out there, we're not talking about those cute little doves that come to all of our backyard bird feeders everyday here in Houston. No siree Bob, we're talking about those man eating doves that are a threat and a menace to the women and children and upstanding citizens of south Texas.

On a different subject, Fran and I went and saw the newly released movie Hope Springs yesterday, and we would definitely recommend it. The movie stars Meryl Streep and Tommie Lee Jones as an old married couple in a rut, and Steve Carell as their marriage counselor. A lot of laughs and good acting by all three.

Richard Meek '65

Ted that Gus is a great looking dog. Your grandson is ok too. Good to see he's got his snake leggings on since there are one or two of those creepy crawlers down where you hunt. Heck if I wanted tostart harvesting doves here in the city I wouldn't need a gun. I could just scoop them up with a crab net. The whitewings that nest around my house are so tame you can walk up within a couple of feet of them. When did they start migrating up here.?You used to have to go way south to find them.

It's after 4:00 on Friday afternoon. it's about time for me to go hunting. No, not for doves. I'm talking about a good glass of wine! Paige will be blowing into town here soon. If you're comin inbound on Hwy 290 and you see a tan Ford Expedition in your rearview mirror, give way. That girl doesn't let any grass grow under her tires. I've got a bottle of Prosecco chilled at home. It's gotten to be a Friday tradition to get the weekend started started with a glass of Prosecco. For you beer drinkers, Prosecco is Italian sparkling wine. Give it a try sometime. It's a softer than champagne. It's a mighty fine wine.

Got a couple more emails to send. Then I'm headed for the house. Liz will be waiting for Paige's arrival. She reconizes the sound of Paige's engine. Those two have really bonded but I'm not supposed to tell you that. Paige brings her presents . I'm not supposed to tell you that either. So just keep it to yourselves.

Have a grand weekend,

Rich

Keep on dancing

John Burgess Webb

hey teddie ,beau is correct on the manatee;at first i thought walrus but at further examination saw that it is a manatee;a gentle creature that loves the mangrove forest of florida where they can hide and feed.

Beau Wann, Jr.

Hey Teddie, WHAT A CLASSIC PICTURE...a boy hunting with a fine hunting dog...and we know his grandpa was there...they dont make too many better days than that...your grandchildren are gonna remember their time growing up, hunting with you, as the best memories of their lives...and well they should, look at who their grandpa is...

Gus is looking goooood. My hunting dogs, Huckleberry Hound and Deputy Dawg, are always huntin...for something to eat and a place to lay down...Hey burge hows your pups??? You get to go to the "Two States" Cafe and have breakfast???? ah, days of me youte...

Wayne Lake

Burge,

I too liked your manatee pix. A few years ago, one of those mermaids of the Everglades took a right turn out of Tampa Bay and headed West down the Inter-Coastal Waterway Canal. Later, I heard it was seen around Port O’Conner and eventually found its way to Port Mansfield where it made a home base. I was fishing there about 4-5 years ago and noticed a water fountain of sorts in the harbor whereby someone had used a garden hose to refresh the animal as they require fresh water, I guess, Then one day, I was backing my boat trailer down the ramp, looking in the rear view mirror (like my ol’ man taught me) and I saw this huge head sticking up looking at my tail lights.  I had sort of forgotten about the manatee being there and I thought I was seeing a sea monster (“images may appear to be larger than actual”). Well it was the subject manatee and not a sea monster at all but I think it died shortly thereafter, maybe due to the hyper-saline Lower Laguna Madre.          

From Lake Wobegone, the land of Paul Buyan, the famous lumberjack with current lows around 60 and highs around 80F,

I hope to see you all at Clay’s in October,

wtl, the snarkey one

Beau Wann, Jr.

Hey WTL of lake woebegone...I wonder, (oh no, he's a wonderin again), no seriously, I wonder, since Paul Bunyion was such a GREAT BIG OL GUY,  did he have bunions???? Or know Damon Runyion, or maybe eat onions...??? A mind is a terrible think to wit...

Got a mess here at swamp okeefenokee, other wise known as the black lagoon, cement pond...well, nothing wrong with it...yet again, but the floor people installed all the tile, and were gonna grout Saturday...then I noticed a WRONG patteren in the tile...it is supposed to be like sand, but we discovered in at least 120 of the buggers, that a rather obscene symbol has reared it's ugly head on 120 suppose to be sand tiles...I shall go no further in my discription...had the floor people out, and they said, "oh, thats not good"....guess we better get a rep from the tile people out...my question to anyone out there with too much time on their hands thats reading this, is what do we do now?????????????????

My son the Contractor came over, and said "oh, thats not good"...(damn, everyone is so perceptive)...he said that the tile people might offer a refund of maybe one third, maybe...Ok, I could live with that I suppose...but what if they dont?????? Then what???? What is our recourse now???? BBB???? Court??? We have only paid half, and that was suppose to cover supplies, tile, thinset, membrane, leveler...

It's always something isnt it...The rep from the people that put it in said, "I wish you would have caught it earlier"...OH YEAH???? WELL HELLS BELLS, ME TOO...what about the installers? shouldnt they have caught it...well ok, thats a dumb question, they speak no english and dont give a rats ass what kind of tile they are putting in...

Meanwhile, house is torn up, cats and dogs are running amok and askew...we have been sleeping upstairs on our grandaughters bed, a 200 year old iron antique double wedding ring bed, that I am gonna have to say, was probably crafted by at least 3 or 4 of the 7 dwarfs, or maybe druids or trolls...couldnt a been made for normal size people...woke up yesterday morning, with both feet sticking through the bars at the foot, and one arm and my head through the bars at the head...I woulda hollared for help, cept big Oliver was sitting next to me just watching to see what I'd do...and I didnt want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me hollar for help...

Got my head and arm untangled, but mangled somewhat, and went to work on my feet...Oh lordy...finally got them unhooked and kinda fell out of the 18th century torture chamber...bout the only thing worse, would be stuck in such a contraption, and forced to watch the Beverly Hillbillies, or Gilligans Island...

Grabed the ol lady, and ran, not walked, to MATTRESS MACS EMPIRE ON 45, BETWEEN TIDWEL AND PARKER..."solid wood furniture knock knock knock, solid wood furniture, sleep tonight in comfort, in your new solid wood bed, you buy it today we deliver it tonight, and we really will save you money...", well, you know the drill...
Onliest (east texas for only) reason we went to Macs, was because all theother places take a week to two weeks to deliver, AND I NEEDED IT NOW...so we bought a REAL bed and had it delivered same day, yesterday...Bed costs 8 dollars, but the accessories, such as head board and foot board, and side rails and mattress and delivery and tax and "just because" charge, ran it up to about 1500 dollars...How exactly did Mac save us money again????

Have yalll ever BEEN to Mattress Macs???? It is a circus, they got tropical birds, monkeys, and probably a manatee or efelant or brontasaurus or three...they have free ice cream cones, and free fresh baked choc chip cookies,free water,  and I dont know what all...they were out of coffee though, and thats a black mark agin em for sure...parking lot was packed, and inside looked like  the astrodome full of people...My question, how does someone start out with a couple of bucks 30 years ago, selling furniture, grow this big???? I guess plenty of gimmicks...

I was like a kid on Christmas Morn, waiting to open my presnents, waiting on our new 8 dollar bed plus 1.5K...I was pacing up and down, back and forth, to and fro, peering from winder to winder (east texas for window)...just waiting, anticipating....our wonderful new bed...

but wait, what if they lose their way, and cant find us?? what if they call and say they cant be here till tomorrow, or next week???? I HAVE ALREADY TORN DOWN THE DRUID/TROLL BED AND STUCK IT IN THE ANTIQUE SHOP FOR SALE...

But wait, I hear a truck, I see a truck....oh joy, it says GALLERY FURNITURE on the side...what if its not for us? what if they brought a dining room set by mistake...I can sleep on a table a lot better than I can under a troll bridge...Ok, here the y come to the dooor...I look at my wife as they ring the door bell..."answer the door" she says with just a slight hint of disbelief in her voice....wait, what if its a trick? what if it's Russkis??? Spys??? Mormons??? Girl scouts????Democrats???? Oh my goodness...bout that time, my wife brushes by me and opens the door....I reach for my shootin arn, just in case it's a trick...you just never know about delivery people and furniture movers...

"Uh ma'am, we have a delivery for a Mr. Wann..."says a supicious voice..."oh" says my wife, "thats him hiding behind the dead plant at the end of the foyer, but I'll sign for it"....I straighten up, and go "ahem, I am not hiding, I am checking this plant for aaphids!!!! To which my wife added, "that plant has been dead for a month"..."Well" says I, "you cant be too careful about them rogue aaphids"....why, when aaphids runamok, no tellin what will happen, global warming, brown patch, you name it...

"You have my bed"???? says I...."yes sir" says the delivery guy..."where do you want us to set it up" ...???
I race upstairs and hang over the balcony, challenging them..."up here, if you can, if you dare" says I defiantly..."Sure, no problem" says he..."Ohl yeah, come on with your bad self" says I...
took em about 30 minutes to get er all set up, with mine and Big Olivers supervision of course...

Oh man, that bed is so fine...I slept like a baby last night...or really more like a tired old man, but when I awoke this fine morn, I wasnt tangled up in anything, ceptin the sheets and big Oliver sittin on me...but thats ok...

well, time to go take a nap on my GALLERY FURNITURE bed...Big Olivers already got a head start on me...
your frien and slightly insane brother...DOD

Beau Wann, Jr.

Good morrow ! ! ! Another fun filled day on the construction site...no resolution about the defective tile...have been sleeping good on our new bed, thank you Mr Mattress Mac...They did have to come back to fix one of the drawers at the foot of the bed...but they came back the next day and fixed it...thats how you have a successful company, GREAT SERVICE...

tried to get on forum last night, and did, but the line feed would not work...probably hit some button and caused it to crater...

Went to our 3rd funeral in 3 weeks yesterday. OK, THATS ENOUGH OF THOSE! ! ! ! ! Wouldnt it be great, if you COULD do that??? Just say, stop it, and it would stop it!!!! I know, life doesnt work that way, but you can dream cant you?

The last of my aunts on my Dads side just passed away from alzheimers she has had for 12 years. She was 88. Her Daughter, my cousin, now has it and noticeably so. My aunts mom had it also, and died from it or complications thereof. It sure is a horrible disease. Kills the mind and seemingly the soul too.

Today is a great day to go to Fuddruckers, dontcha think?????? I hear tell, they have a fairly good menu! ! !
But all in all, lots of good folks attend, which produces lots of good conversation, which produces lots of good fellowship and commraderie...and begats renewed friendships...

One of the funerals I went to last week, was for the father of a friend of my wifes, a korean vet...we, the PGR rode and honored he and his service to our country...First unpleasant ride on Pegasus...guess I should back up eh!

A fortnight ago, however in the heck long a fortnight is, sounds good though, anyhoo, a fortnight ago, I was minding mine own bidness along side the cement pond, fetchin and totin, shuckin and jivin, movin stuff around...I was just about to turn off the pump to the okeefenokee, when some lattice work was in the way...so, instead of removing it with my hands, I decided to just kick it out of the way...I kicked, and got my foot stuck in one of the squares, so I really kicked and sure taught it a lesson for getting in the way...

Next think I knew, I was tangled up in the lawnmower handle flat on my bottox, looking up at the stars...Man, "what the heck happened" says I? Apparently I fell on my bottox, thats what happened..."oh the humanity"...

Well, as you might have guessed, it bruised my bottox and has been sore ever since then...When I rode my bike, it really was sore...once the funeral was over, I came straight home, trying ever so carefully to avoid any and all bemps, (inspector cluseaus pronunciation. remember him?) which for some reason was an impossibility. Oh man, I almost wrecked one time after hitting a bemp. Finally made it to the house and took an aleve and layed down for a long winters nap...It seems to be better now, mehopes. All I have to do to test that theory out, is to sit on my bike. I had a coworker once that fell and broke their tail bone...oh man, that has got to be agonizing to say the least! ! ! ! ! ! !

Hope to see some or "all yall" at Fudds tonight...Oh hey, on a good note, I found DARK CHOCOLATE MALTED MILK BALLS at Krogers in the candy section, of course. Shirley you remember the malted milk balls we got at the Garden Oaks Theater, and Milk Duds? Well, these Dark Chocolate ones are heavenly, and about 4 times the size of the original ones in the box. They are 7.29 a pound, a bargain at any price. Next time you are at Krogers, give em a try. I wouldnt steer you wrong about food, expecially dark chocolate.

Ok, times up...all this material will be on the final, and remember the final counts as one third of your grade, so study study study...If you need some help, just sing out...call Jenny Taylor, she will help you...she helped me study for my finals in our senior year. Without her help, I wouldnt have passed thats for sure. So see there, what happens when you reach out to your bretheren and sisteren...nothing but net ! ! ! ! ! So from my heart to your heart, Jenny, THANK YOU ! ! ! ! !    I allus did like Jenny...in fact, there wasnt anyone in Highschool I didnt like...well, cept me on more in one occasion...but, I gave myself a good talkin to, and moved on...

Happy trails mine buckeroos...
your frien and bottox weary brethern...DOD

Beau Wann, Jr.

Hello mine waltripians...just back from Fudds night...what a great time...probably about a dozen folks, one of the smaller crowds for sure, but still a wonderful time...I so look forward to 2nd tuesdays, like Christmas morn once a month...yessir, 12 times a year...this will be short...WHO ME, WRITE SOMETHING SHORT???? Yup, gonna hit the hay, got to get up early and get the little woman off to work earlier than normal...seems she has training classes everyday this week...woman been a teacher for 35 years, and an administrator for 3 and she needs training??? Well, ok, if they say so...

Remember how I said this was gonna be short??? Well, "goodnight John-boy"
"goodnight mary ellen...
"nite grandpa"

"YOUR BRATS SHUT UP AND GO TO SLEEP"

your frien and brethern...Beaucephuspa DOD

Jackie Crowe (Finch)

It was a wonderful night at Fudd's and I will be posting pictures shortly (of course on my lunch hour)!

Hope to see all of you that missed at our next Fudd's gathering - September 11.  I've posted on the homepage our next date for Clay's.  It will be Saturday, October 20  --

Hugs,

J

Teddie Jordan

Yes it was another fun night at ol' Fudd's. Good to see everyone and laugh.

WTL, aka the snarkster, I was starting to feel sorry for you back in June when you reported that your high temps up there in Minnesota were hotter than your home in League City. But now that you're saying you have highs in the 80's and lows in the 60's all bets are off. Hope to see you in October when you fly back down south with the ducks and geese.

Gus and I did something a little different on Sunday morning. We got up early and drove up to Brenham to friend Steve Bigger's kennel and attended a de-snaking clinic. That's the name they use for an event where hunting dogs get a chance to be exposed and learn to avoid live venomous snakes. Basically the handler leads the dog through a short course where they encounter live snakes, using an electonic collar at the exact moment the dog reaches to  smell and look at the snake to pulse the dog and teach it that they are to be avoided. Before you picture an electrocution, please know that it is instantaneous and more like the sensation you feel when you walk across the room on a winter morning and grab a door knob and get that shock. Definitely not something we enjoy, but also not painful in the real sense.

In this case they had two  very alive western diamondback rattlesnakes, one about 3 feet and one about 4, and a water moccasin about 18 inches. They use dog nail clippers and cut the fangs of the rattlers back about every two weeks, as they grow back fast, and also tape their mouths shut just for the two hours they are used.  They get fed pet store raised mice the five days a week between clinics and looked plenty healthy. The rattlers were usually coiled up, I think they had been used enough they knew the drill, and would rattle as the dog approached. I might note that this is unlike about 80 percent of the ones we encounter in the wild. If you think about it, natural selection and survival of the fittest being what it is, the ones that rattle much more often get  noticed and eliminated from the gene pool while the ones that don't frequently are never noticed. At least that's been my experience spending time in their habitat for the last 30 plus years. Mocassins are much more agressive and for that reason they had to keep that one in a cage, because they are fast and can easily escape. But almost all of the dogs could not resist the musky smell and would want to reach out to it, and almost every time the snake would strike at the dog against the cage. 

Waterfowl hunters in the rice belt east and west of Houston are much more likely to encounter the mocassins while dove and quail hunters heading south the larger rattlers. Gus and I do all of the above. There is a vaccine available for  dogs to help them handle the venom of the Western Diamondback, and we always get that booster in early September. Ironically there is no such vaccine available for humans, go figure.

Anyway, it was good experience for Gus and the other dogs and it was a good chance to catch up and visit with some old friends at a beautiful place on a nice morning.

I couldn't help thinking on the way home about all of the interesting ways different people make or suppplement their living. My friend Steve graduated from A&M and followed in his dad's footsteps working for Exxon, and hated every day of it. He eventually went full time into training hunting and field trial retrievers and outfitting guided duck and goose hunts during the season and has made a good living, and is now putting his two daughters through college. But the interesting ones are the snake handler and his assistant. The handler's weekday job is police officer, and his assistant and step son was home on leave from the Army and two tours of Afghanistan. For which service I sincerely and properly thanked him, twice. And as for me, when people ask me what I do, I always tell them I'm the head dog pooper scooper at 8114 Marshall Falls.

John Burgess Webb

i enjoy reading about the adventures that some of you are having.i more or less live vicariously these days;my mobility is down from wear and tear and surgeries of the last few years but i can still enjoy the dogs and read.i dont forget jenny and the ordeal she has to go through to see.i may not comment very often but those who have tribulations are in my thoughts too.

burge

Beau Wann, Jr.

And you, Burge, are in all our thoughts...wishing you nothing but the best of everything...glad you have your companions with you...makes the lonely, hurtin days just a tad tolerable...looking into the loving  eyes of a grateful pup or kitty...

But not a rattlesnake...I shudder to think what would happen if Cooper came face to face with one...probably try to make friends with it...sorta glad we dont have the ranch in that respect...we do have the antivenom, but still the painful recovery...knew of one guy got hit by a western diamondback, and he was out for a month...leg got all black and dont remember if he lost it or not...The southern pacific green rattler is even worse...folks usually dont survive that one at all...

I'll stick to my National Geographic pictures of a snake thank you...havent been to a hunting show lately, but they usually have the snake wranglers and plenty of snakes...I try to steer clear of those booths...

Wayne Lake

Snakes? You name a topic and I’ll have a story or two, even if I have to make em’ up.

It was April and I launched my kayak from the Colorado River Rd into East Matagorda Bay about 5 am stalking my favorite species, Red Drum from shallow water using a top water lure.  The moon was still up and I could see the glow of phosphorous in the water with every stroke from the friction of my paddle. It was pretty cool……….

I paddled about a mile or two to a spot I knew and began wading around some oyster beds, caught a couple of undersized reds (less than 20”) and had one 24” on my stringer when I decided I’d had enough as I remember.  I was about a ½ mile from my little boat, it was about 10 am, the sun was up and getting too hot to fish the shallows any more so I started back.  Wading in shallow water is a lot more difficult than walking on dry land with stingrays to avoid and soft mud to contend with so I moved up into the salt grass and as I’m wandering along I started thinking about snakes………... It’ getting hot, its early spring and I’m on the salt flats which is prime time and territory for rattlers looking for a meal! If I got hit out here, it’s at least an hour back to my vehicle and then another hour or so to Bay City – where was that hospital anyway? Who cares, I’d be dead by then or passed out for sure along the highway somewhere.

About that time, I saw one coiled, not moving and just sitting there waiting on a victim, I guess. I thought to myself, I had never heard one rattle or seen one strike out in the open before and out of pure stupidity and curiosity started teasing it with my rod tip until it made a rattle and strike as expected. About then, my pea brain finally kicked in – stupid is as stupid does. End of story, I went back out into the water to my yak and headed home without further incident.

That broke me of teasing snakes as I don’t much like snakes of any kind much and I’m really scared of rattlers.

One more stupid Wayne story: My ex-in-laws had a place on a heavily wooded cove at Walden on Lake Conroe. Cotton mouth water moccasins were everywhere in that cove. About 6 pm one summer evening, I put out a trot line with minnows in about waist deep water behind the house. Then, after the 10 pm news, I started outside to run my line. My ex-wife, the former Mrs.  Lake and mother of my boys told me in no uncertain terms that I was crazy and if I got snake bit, she would not even drive me to the ER since I was so stupid. What does she know anyway? She married me didn’t she?  

So I go wading out in the dark without much light so I had to feel my way along the line and I’m feeling something heavy, maybe a 4# catfish? So I take my time and I ease up on my catch so not to lose it. Well, when I raised it up enough to see what I had, it was a big ol’ fat black, cotton mouthed water moccasin about 2’ long and I was way too close for comfort.

It was dead (drowned) but at that point I did not confirm anything as I was running through the water so hard, I made a wake that almost swamped a pontoon boat tied up two doors down. End of story, no more trot lining at Lake Conroe for me since I don’t like snakes of any kind much and I’m really scared of water moccasins.

From Lake Wobegon,

wtl           

Beau Wann, Jr.

" I dont like spiders and snakes, and that aint what it takes..."  Thanks all yall for conjurin up that old tune in my clouded crowded head...

I do remember a snake story or two...I'll keep em short...WELL I WILL...oh ye of little faith...

anyways, me and one of the Dollens boys, I think it was Larry, we went frog giggin one moonlit night at a pond that is now where 290 and 43rd st is today...wherent no stinkin freeways way back younder...anyways, I was sayin, we were frog giggin on this particular night, and really wasnt havin much luck...the only bullfrog we saw was a tough old buzzard...in addition to a couple of homemade frog gigs, ie sawed off broomstick handles with a nail at one end, we had a genuine Benjamine air pistol...youse remember the kind, the one that had a pump handle under the barrel, that in order for the BB or pellet to come out, you had to pump the heck out of it...

well, bein a couple O light weights, it took us a time to get er pumped and primed...like I said, the onliest (east texas for only) bull frog we saw was a tough old bird...when we spotted him, he was bellowing...HARUMP HARUMP...it was so loud, we thought a car was stuck in the swamp...we were also sportin a "snake hissin" coleman lantern that we pilfered out of Larrys garage, so we lit that ol boy up and both threw our gigs at him...did I mention this ol boy was tough???? Both, as in BOTH gigs hit him and bounced off and broke both nails off...I think it was a manufacturin defect, as me and Larry hadnt quite mastered the art of "frog gig" makin...

So both of us, real close to being "brain surgeon" smart, had a idear..."why not shoot him with the air gun"???
We brought it along to ward off any snakes, should one rear its fugly head...so, having decided in a conference, we would dispatch ol mr tough frog with the genuine benjamine pump air pistol...

Since it was Larrys, he would do the honors...he took careful aim, and POP said the genuine benjamine pump air pistol...did I mention how tough that ol frog was????  That pellet just bounced off his hide, and he sorta turned facing us..."oh my gosh, he's gonna attack" says us brain surgeon candidates...I dont even think he felt either frog gig or the pellet, I think he was just annoyed with all the noise we were making, sneaking up on him...Daniel Boones we were not...

After the umpteenth mosquito bite, we decided we had had enough of huntin the feerocious bull frog, and had a desire to lounge around the rest of the night in one or the others garage...we were walking along the path, barefooted...did I mention we were barefooted, and shirtless???? we at least had long pants on...I know I mentioned we were "brain surgeon" smart, hence the long pants...anyway, we were walking along the path and came upon a log to which larry stepped over, since he was the leader...he had the coleman lantern which hissed like a snake, I know youse remember that sound...Larry the Leader, stepped over the log, about the same time a whirld record size anaconda was deciding to cross the same path...he, or she, which ever the case might be, layed it's head on larrys barefoot, and slithered across said barefoot...why he didnt bit larry is still a mystery...probably figured out we werent fit even for a snack and waste of good venom...

Larry the Leader, JUMPED STRAIGHT UP, oh I'd say about 4 foot...the snake hissin coleman lantern and genuine benjamine pump air pistol also went a sailin...only, they went about 20 ft up and 20 ft out in the black lagoon...I saw that ol snake, and he was a foot wide if he was an inch...largest snake I've ever seen, outside of the National Geographic kind...in the pictures...that cant bite you...

As we were hightailing it out of the okeefenokee swamp, we looked back...I know, Mr Satchel Page said, "dont look back, cause you never know what might be gaining on you" or words to that effect...but being the rocket scientists , and logic defyers, we decided to look back...didnt turn into a pillar of salt neither...last image we had was that bad ol anaconda was sliding across the genuine benjamine pump air pistol, and the snake hissin coleman lantern light and all, was sinking slowly into the swamp till the light went out...the 290 and 43rd swamp...

We figured that ol snake was so mean and tough, ate the pellet gun and lantern, and the mean ol bullfrog...at least in our pea brains is how it happened...

We ran all the way home cuttin across the cowpasture that was on the west side of two lane bumpy blacktop that was Antoine, (its still bumpy, but now four lanes) of course steppin in stuff...finally arrived home and was already thinkin about our next adventure, whatever in the heck two "brain surgical rocket scientists" could conjure up...like going fishin in whiteoak bayou, for some fish for breakfast...as we fell asleep on the garage floor in a couple of cardboard boxes that served as "frigates" ...zzzzzzzzzzzz

I know, I know, I said it would be short, and it sorta was...lots shorter than "WAR AND PEACE" eh what...so count yourselves lucky...

Your frien and adventuresome "brain surgeon and rocket scientist" smart brother...DOD

Beau Wann, Jr.

Hey, it's me again...I know, long time since I've been on here...The above story might seem suspect, cause I called the snake in question an anaconda...well, it was a huge ol watermocasin that looked to us to be about the size of an anaconda...still dont know why that ol boy didnt bite Larry...probably both arrived at the same point at the same time and that ol snake just didnt snap to what was happenin...Probably a good thing Larry didnt step on Mr Mocasin...things might a turned real fugly....I dont like snakes, I truly dont...I have met a few sanke wranglers a time or two, and still for the  life of me cant understand their attraction to DEATH...

I can understand why me and the Dollens boys would mess around with stuff that we shoudnt, we were...BOYS...and stupid to boot, but what I cant understand, is why, Ol Mr Snarkey WTL, a full growed man, would get out of a perfectly good boat and go wading, or hang a trot line in Lake Conroe....besides mocasins, there are alligators...was you "double dog dared"? Today, if I were "double dog dared", whoever double dogged, could take that double dog and stuff it...I am considerably smarter...sometimes...

I guess thats why I have my own cement pond...no snakes or gators...I still dont swim in it, just incase one is hiding in the drain, waiting for me to go swimming and then rear it's fugly head...yuk and shudder...Ok, I'm signing offf...I mean it...wont be back for a while...(define "awhile")

DOD

Richard Meek '65

Afternoon Waltripians. I might have an answer for you as to why some folks are snake wranglers. I read an article yesterday at the barbershop. Yes Mildred an old fashioned barbershop with magazines. Not totally old fashioned though three of the six barbers are females. Anyway this article was about a guy that makes his living selling snake venom (Eastern Diamondbacks) to the pharmaceutical industry. Snake venom brings more money than gold. This fellow milks snakes every other week. He keeps 200 - 250. The bill for one weeks milking was $155,000. Does that splain it ? I think I'll just keep selling insurance. I might get a paper cut once a year.

Everyone have a grand weekend!

Keep looking on the bright side of life,

Richard LH

Keep on dancing

Beau Wann, Jr.

Thanks Rich the LH for that enlightenment...I plumb totally forgot about the use for the venom...wouldnt it be better to just take a pint of blood from a horse????  I thought that was the anti-venom...there I go, thinking again...Of course, ya needs ta be friends with the donor horse, cause their bite hurts like hell, and their kick is even woise...could ya like maybe like sorta like use mule blood????  (thought I'd chunk in a coupla "likes")...

Along those same lines, did "all yall" take note, that there is no more anti-venom for a corral snark bite????
Yup, they stopped it because it was so expensive, and no one was getting bitten by corral snarks...someone esplain the logic in that to me...no more polio, so lets get rid of the anti-polio drug??? Small pox drug???...
Scientists kept the last remaining small pox disease ! ! ! ! !

155K a week for snark venom???? If anyone out there wants to go into that bidness with me, I certainly wouldnt mind trying it...I'll be the book keeper, and gatherer of money, and "all yall" can katch and milk the snarks...(snark is the north east yankee pronunciation of snake...you know, kinda like "idear", or "Cuber") aintcha glad I cleard that up???? There's just no end to my hep now is there!!!!!

Wanna hear another snake story??? I thought you would ! ! ! Ok, sit back and relax, get a coff of cuppee...
One time, I was living in an apartment on 43rd st, rat across from Millers Drive Inn...they've since torn them down...yeaaaa...Heard a knock at the door, at 6 AM on a Saturday...what tha??? I opened the door, and much to my surprise, and chagrin, and heart felt sickness, there stood Johnny D, dressed in a mexican mariachi singer dancer, whatever...his suit was black with silver trim, complete with a huge black and silver trimed sombrero...he was grinnin from ear to ear, and looked to be inebriated, or otherwise under the influence of a foreign substance, such as, say, Tequila...

Just a wild guess there, dontcha know...anyway, he was also sportin two large suitcases, one in each hand...
He set em down, and one clinked, rather loudly, and the other was movin on it's own...I'll take a clink over a move anyday...As I cleared the cobwebs out of my cloudy crowdy mind, I thought, "this cant be good"! ! ! ! !

And as my luck goes, it wasnt...Johnny the mariachi, opened up both suitcases, and one was filled with full tequila bottles, and the other really kind of opened itself, and was filled with two, count em TWO BOA CONSTRICTORS..."great googa mooga, let me out of here...feets dont fail me now...etc etc....needless to say, I vacated the premises, and told Johnny D the mariachi, TO DO THE SAME! ! ! !

For the love of whatever, that ol boy had to be the kraziest person on the planet...maybe later I will tell some stories about his shenanigans and hooliganisms...he had a heart murmur, and wasnt suppose to live past 20...wasnt gonna be any old heart murmur to take him down, no sir...he's alive and well, I guess well, and past 70 now...how he reached 70 is got to be a miracle of nature it's ownself...I think he and Neda Powers got married at some point...hope that worked out for em...

Ok, the little woman is up, time to start breakfast...(on a happy note, they finished the tile floors)...

Your frien but not a lover of snakes, DOD

Beau Wann, Jr.

Hey, it's me again Margaret...been so long since I've been on the forum...had a MAJOR storm move through here from the southwest to the northeast, prime tornadic movement...just got lots O wind and small tree limb damage, nothing serious....they lost power across the street for about 4 hours...no TV...no big deal there...From the looks of my raingauge, tha wheelbarrow, we got about....lots O rain...My remaining two trees are very thankful, as are we...

Brought in some of the furniture so we can put both cars in the garage...I think we are just about the only folks that use our garage for our vehicles...Doesnt make much since to pay 30K plus for a vehicle, and then leave it out on the street for some drunk to hit, or some punk to steal...Seems there is a rash of car thefts in the hood this week...We can sleep a tad easier tonight...oh hell, I never sleep easy...back, legs, shoulders just screaming for me to stop working...guess I'm gonna wear out...bettern rustin out eh what! ! ! ! !

Speakin of hearing, my right ear went on strike this week...I guess it decided to just shut down, cause It sounds like I'm in a box, and everyone else is outside the box...I never was good at thinking outside the box, and now I'm in one and can think, but not hear...it's always something! ! ! ! !

But. it's cool...I cant wait for "all yall" to see our remodeled house when we get it finished...got a new coffee bar that is countertop high, and about 6 foot long made of beautiful dark heavy wood...got a counter top high table with tall chairs...if you've thought about replacing your regular table and chairs, this is the way to go...regular chairs are hard for some of us older folks to get into and out of...not these taller ones...go check em out next chance you get...we also got rid of our dinning room set...I'M NOT COOKING THANKSGIVING DINNER OR CHRISTMAS DINNER ANYMORE...MAYBE...it will be buffet style...this coffee bar, is just super...think I'll take a picture of it and post it on the forum...still a big kid at heart I am...

But, once we're through, everyone is invited to come on over and have a cold one, or cup of coffee and some good eats...probably be around October or November when it's cooler...our 25th anniversary 3 years ago, was in July and was so hot, why we had a party then was a mistake...good to see all the folks, but still too hot..

Been watching the old Ed Sullivan show on channel 8...I sure do miss those variety shows...Wife just spoke at me...we bought golden raisins months ago, but never got the GIN...just never occurs to me to visit a "package" store anymore since I quit drinking many moons ago...not a problem drinker, just lost the taste for it, and thats really a good thing I suppose...

Watching Elvis on channel 8...hard to believe he's been gone for bout 35 years...that ol boy sure could sing couldnt he??? My Friend Johnny D sort of fancied himself as "Elvis"...he had the hair, and the moves, and he seemed to have the same affect with the ladies as did Elvis...Johnny D was cool, to be sure...he seemed to be able to talk easy to the girls, and tell em what they wanted to hear...me too, if you like listening to eeelmmmeeerrrrr fffffuuuuddddd...yeah, I was soooo smooooooth...like an old stage coach going down T C Jester...

Johnny D has done so many things, there is no way he should even be alive today...Back in 72, he and his wife, and her name escapes me, and why not, he was married about a hundred times...they lived in a very small town outside of Crowlly, Louisiana, Douson, La...he was the Milkman, and the Sheriff...anyway, he and his wife brought Dolly and I a pigglet ! !! ! !!! Yup, a Durock methinks, or maybe it was a hampshire...they told me that bad boy would get to be over 1000 pounds. We lived on the corner of Richilieu and Candlelight...dont think the deed restrictions allowed for pig farmin...so we pollitely declined their fine offer.

We visited he and his wife in Douson once...and I guess in my honor, a water mocasin showed up in his driveway...he, and your gonna find this hard to believe, but I saw it with mine own 20/20 vision...he stuck his left hand in front of the snake, just out of striking distance, (for me that woulda been a thousand miles), but for Johnny, it was about a foot or less...anyway, he kept moving his left hand in front of that snake and just hipnotized him. Then he reached around behind the snakes head with his right hand and picked him up by the neck...and of course, he wants to give him to me as a present...not just no, BUT HELL NO! ! ! ! ! ! !

Later on, we went to Delta downs race track, and only had one dollar apiece...went into the restroom, to take care of bidness, and he asked a guy standing next to him how to bet on the horses...(it's a long standing rule, you NEVER talk to guys next to you doing their bidness) but you know Johnny, he broke all the rules...

Anyway, the guy, I think his name was Guido, told Johnny in a gruff New Jersey voice, "put all youse money on hoochie koochie in the 6th race"...so me and Johnny pooled our resources, 2 dollars and place it on ol hoochie koochie to win...that nag came round the track and shonuf she had won, and paid 22 to 1...we had won 44 dollars, in one swell foop...we were in tall cotton for sure...in 19 and 72, 44 dollars would buy a passel of goodies...Thats just a miniscule sample of me and Johnnys adventures...

I'm getting kind of tired, and I know youre tired of reading this, so I will deplane, depart and other wise cease and desist..
.Happy trails mine pardners...
Keep the sun at your 6 and ride boldly ride..
your frien and brother Beaucephus DOD

Beau Wann, Jr.

ALERT ALERT ALERT ALERT

JUST TALKED TO BARBARA PORTER RAINES, AND JACKIE IS IN ST LUKES ROOM Y2263.....SHE HAS A PLETHORA OF SYMPTOMS, TO WHICH THEY ARE CHECKING FOR         A VIRAL INFECTION INCLUDING:  WEST NILE: MENINGITIS, AND ANY OTHER THEY KNOW OF...

SHE WAS SUFFERING FROM STIFF NECK, LOWGRADE FEVER AND HEADACHE.   THEY ADMITTED HER FRIDAY...

SHE CANNOT HAVE VISITORS....REPEAT....SHE CANNOT HAVE VISITORS

BUT SHE CAN HAVE PHONE CALLS : 713-825-0647 IS THE NUMBER I HAVE ON MY CELL PHONE FOR JACKIE....

NO VISITORS............REPEAT......NO VISITOR

BUT PRAYERS WILL BE GRACIOUSLY  ACCEPTED...

ALERT ALERT ALERT ALERT