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Richard Meek '65

Hey Susan, I didn't know your dad built Oaks Presbyterian. Sounds like he was a really good guy. the kind we need more of. I know what you mean about missing your dad. Mine passed away in 1999 and I still miss him and my mom. I'm just very thankful that they were the type parents I miss and I have no gripes how they raised Becky and me. Your dad was right we Presbyterians are a congenial lot. Even Beau behaves hisseff since he came under our influence. Mmmm Diane may have had a lot to do with that too but she was raised Presbyterian. There you go!

Jimmie Lee I think we'll be outside the SB mainstream. We've got a great room at the Hyatt Cityview and the wedding and reception are away from the center of town so I think we should be ok. I looking forward to the reception. Good food, wine and a band. I'm so glad that even though that branch of the family is Baptist, they're Baptist Lite. Add to that reasonably good weather, it should be a fun get away. I think Charles showed good sense giving his SB tickets to the kids. I know I can find much more comfortable seating with better refreshments away from the stadium. We won't even get into how much less the adult beverages will be at home or a friends.

Cephus, I'm proud that you and any tools or electronic equipment didn't wind up in the pool. Don't you rework that deck about as frequently as you move the furniture? Well I guess it's ok. Michelangelo had the Cistene Chapel, you've got the deck, the furniture, the country estate, etc.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. Keep your powder dry and stay safe! Also Keep on dancing. I plan to.

Rich LH

Stay Calm, Carry On

John Burgess Webb

as admrl yamamoto cautioned at the counsel for war " we will awaken a sleeping giant"his years in school in america had taught him the american spirit and knew that war was futile.our fathers'job was was black and white;cut and dry.and they suceeded with every effort,physical,mental,and spiritual.the "sun god"was exposed and the god-incarnate was forced to abdicate and surrender.how things do stay the same.shinto is all but gone,yet we are left a more complicated threat;the method for the establishment of'the califate'over the world.that day in 1941 shows the impact of a suprise attack.

Lloyd Pond

Nice trip birding in Rockport. Food was expensive.. Guess I'm used to Whataburger prices. A Manatee washed up at Fulton, too cold for the  Florida mammal. Whoopers were cooperative lots of hawks,ducks and herons as well. Stay safe and warm this week.

Richard Meek '65

Good morning fellow Waltripians, I hope everyone had a good weekend. The trip to Fort Worth was successful. Fortunately, for them, the ESPN people stayed out of my way. No problem with the rodeo folks either. Went to brunch on Saturday at a really good place named Lucille's on Camp Bowie Rd. which put us in the vacinity of the rodeo and stock show. There were folks heading that way but no real traffic problems. Looks like it was way better to be there last week than this week. It will be cold here in Houston but really cold up in Cowtown. the  wedding was a success. The ceremony was mercifully short. The bridal party arrived at the reception so soon that there was only time for one glass of wine. They usually  take so long with photographs that the fast drinkers can get half way to snockered before they arrive. it was a very nice evening. Good company, food, wine and dancing. I don't think it gets any better than that.

I hope you all have a great week and managed to stay warm. With the weather forecast for this week, staying warm will be a key component to a great week!

Keep on dancing,

Richard

Susan Howard (Bowman)

Hey friends - we are expecting 1 - 2 inches of ice tonight and tomorrow, then a few inches of snow on Wednesday, with below 0 temperatures.  After talking to my mom it sounds like Texas, although cold, isn't anything like it is here.  Thank goodness!  I wouldn't wish this off on anyone.  I have never been in an ice storm here and we've lived here since 1988.  I dropped by Kroger to pick up a couple of things we needed after I left the office today and the parking lot was absolutely full!  I couldn't believe it!  There was a blizzard here in '72 and people really panic when the forecast is like this.  The store was packed - worse than Christmas, New Year's, or the Super Bowl!  We have an all electric house, so if the power goes out it will be interesting!  We do have a fireplace and wood - so we may be camping out!

Lloyd and Ferrell, sounds like you had a really nice bird watching trip!  It always amazes me how many birds we have up here, even in this awful winter weather!  Seems like they would fly south!

Take care, everyone, and stay warm!  Also, be safe out there, especially if there is ice.  Bad for cars and bones! 

John Burgess Webb

i hope you guys up north stay safe and warm.the front is about seven hours out from here on the ark-la-tex border.its probably going to drop the temp fast;plenty of moisture being pumped from the gulf and its about to crack open as it sweeps all of south texas.stay off the ice and slow down a little.ice is unforgiving.

jb

post script:

Teddie Jordan

Awesome picture Burge. It has already made my day. Thanks.

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

At 9am this morning, it's 19 degrees with snow blowing south to north.  Windchill is 2 degrees.  Weather is big news here - showing both football teams boarding buses to get them to Cowboy Stadium for Media Day - Right!  If I knew how to get photos from my camera to the computer, I'd pass them along (I know - don't say it!)  But, actually I've been having tremendous problems getting photos from CDs to my profile - About every 10th try, it takes.

Of course, Charles is in Cabo playing golf.  Supposed to return tomorrow, but lots of flights being cancelled.

Richard Meek '65

I remember the ice storm that hit Houston in 1950. My dad was lineman for HL&P then. As I remember it and have been told it lasted about a week. Dad got a job as an electrician after that . I think hanging on a utility pole 30 feet in the air during an ice storm convinced him that there had to be a better way to make a living.

I also got to experience a blizzard in Amarillo in 1983. That convinced me living in SE Texas was a pretty good deal.

Susan and Jimmie Lee staying warm and safe sounds like a fine idea. Be sure to heed your own advice. Everyone else do the same.  Beau give the cement pond a wide berth for the next few days! 

Keep on dancing,

Rich

We all do better when we all do better

Jackie Crowe (Finch)

Br-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r everyone stay warm --- Susan, Burge, Jimmie Lee and the others that are going through this Blizzard.

Just talked to my daughter in Kansas and it's very windy, blowing snow and 9 degrees with chill factor of -3.

That storm that moved through Houston at 4:00 a.m this morning was pretty scary.  Very high winds and rain and colder weather, but nothing compared to you folks North of us!

Burge - your picture will warm anyone up - I'm putting him (or is it her?)on homepage with Cooper!  What's his/her name -- is it Ping - I'm thinking she's a lighter color?

Praying for all our Waltrip families ---- Paige, how's your grandson?

Hugs,

J

Beau Wann, Jr.

OH...IT'S A BLUSTERY DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD...WILL YOU BE MINE....lordamighty the wind is howling...Good shivery morrow mine wobblytripians...just got back from walking Huckleberry hound and Scooby Doo...thought I d wait till it warmed up...seems I got er bassackards...didnt do nothin, cept get colder...WHAT THE HECK IS UP WITH THAT???? But, not to worry...I had on my winter wardrobe...no really, all of it too...lessee, hmmm bout 8 shirts and pants and jackets and socks and my bout du nords, (boot of the north from L L Beans), and my rabbit fur trooper hat from Beans...man if youse youtes dont have one of those, you need to get one quickly...go ahead, I'll wait..........that thing makes you sweat, I dont care how cold it gets...plus I look good too...looks like a rabbit is hibernatin on my punkin haid...there was a hawk sailing on the breeze, looking hungrily at my head decoration...I was kinda walking low so as not to attract him...

Hey RichLH, aint a chance of me even looking out the window at the cement pond, let alone get next to it...probably all the lawn chairs and tables and bumbershoots are at the bottom of the coldy brine as we speak...hooha, who cares...I'll pluck em out come mid july...Hey Lloyd, yall come down here if you want to see some birds...heck you can walk along the Cole Creek by the Bolivia street bridge and see all sorts of birds...saw a gang of coots swimming and diving this morn, bout 6 of em...they were playing and having a good time...saw some huge grey cranes and white ones and white Ibises, and of course our resident Muskcovy duck and Mr and Mrs Mallard, and the lone female Ms Woodduck...One HUGE snapping turtle surfaced as we strolled by...that ol boy was almost big as Old Yeller...

Burge...your pup is absolutely about the cutest pup or critter I have ever seen...looks like one o them big flop eared bunnies...no offense...but I allus wanted me one o them critters before...wonder how the zoo here would take to having it's very own bunny...did some phone work at a house in memorial back when I worked for  the dial tone factory, that had a house full of huge flop eared bunnies...beautiful pup burge, just beautiful...

Hey RichLH...I have hung on many a utility pole in the cold and wet over the course of 30 years...I didnt have enough since to take an inside job though...I was an ironworker before that and thought I'd died and gone to heaven when I got on with Ma Bell...that hat you saw at the last Burger Lunch Bunch and whirld problem solvin group meeting, I got back in 75...it is a resistol, and I have worked outside in the pouring rain and sleet and ice with it doing it's job, protecting mah punkin haid...it sure did it's job too...winter of 83-84 comes to mind...think it stayed around 20 everyday for 3 or 2 weeks...around christmas time, I came down off a pole at Wilcrest and Whittington methinks, and there was a SouthernMaid Donuts shop...went inside to get a cup of coffee...took it outside and set it on the green telco box on the side of the street, and spilled some down the side...never made it to the ground, it froze runnin down the side of the box...spilled some of that steamin brew on my hands, and never felt it burn...thats how cold it was...winter of 89 was another cold one...had icecicles hanging off that very hat just about every winter of inclement weather...I'd say that hat served me well, wouldnt you...dont know how guys go bareheaded in the cold...I cant...hair or no hair...nohow...

Me and me beloved and the two hounds of the baskervilles went up to the ranch Friday and Saturday...Ms Jones donkeys were over in the south pasture...or some of them...she use to have about 5, and now seems they  have multiplied like rabits, cause she has about a dozen...some on her place, and some on mine...she hollard over to me..."hey grizzly adams, you stealin my donkeys?"   "No ma am" says I... "but I am about to shoot some trespassers"...which brought gales of laughter and cackles from her..."hold on boy" she says, laughing all the way over..."dont get fiesty, open your gate and run em back this way"...so I did, and she asked as she walked away, "you seen any bears boy"...cackle cackle scream"...that old woman gets on my nerves sometimes...and, if her donkeys eatin my grass wasnt enough, the dang 200 pounds of  rye seed i set out,  never germinated...musta been bad seed... and bout 500 pounds of corn got wet somehow, and turned to sour mash...put it out for the hogs to have a party...wont hurt em, just make em happy...maybe I can party with em...not a real good start for the day...comical, but not a good start...

Huckleberry Hound and Scooby doo had a field day, literally...they played and ran and jumped through the meadows and wood...do your heart good to watch...ol jack, got wind of some critter and he went on the point, tuckin that right paw up , nose in the wind...didnt think it was a hog, cause I couldnt smell em...and if there is a big ol hog around, you smell em before you see em...thought maybe he had a rabbit...all of a sudden he took off, on the chase like he was shot out of a cannon...ol yeller looked at me as if he was askin..."what do I do, run too...??? (sharp aint exactly his middle name), then he took off trailin Jack, like they both had good sense...what ever they were chasing, was leadin them to disaster...I could tell right off...Jack was going round and round a stand of trees and brush, and Coop close on his heels, both tails and heads were high and bodys taut and legs prancin, made my heart SWELL WITH PRIDE, watchin them ol boys on the hunt...

Directly her comes what they were chasing...a bear...NAH, got your attention though didnt I...It was almost as good...one o them wily ol KILLER ARMADILLOS...I didnt know an armadillo could move that fast...Well he went to ground, and the boys gave up the chase...both of em came back to my side looking all cocky and bad, struttin around like they had flushed and ate a dinosaur or something...of course their tongues were hanging out, but they were proud...gave each of em a bottle of water for their thirsty selves...then shortly there after and further down the north road, ol jack catches wind of some more game..."listen boys, if it happens to be a bear this time, run him to Ms Jones place will you..." she told me "if I saw a bear, shoot him and she would skin em, chicken fry em, and make a rug for me"...unquote...well, I forgot the cackles and howls of laughter from her...

Ol jack took off, and this time Coop was hot on his heels...caught a glimpse of what had piqued their interest, and it was another armadillo...them ol boys can sure move when they have to...we were close to the crick, and it is a rather large one, bout 10 or 15 ft deep and bout 25 30 or 50 ft wide in some places...that ol armadillo was leadin them to ruin for sure...I called after em, but they payed me no mind...there was important game to catch...the tall grass hid a drop off from sight. I knew it was there, but the boys didnt...I hollard for them to stop...heel...hey you...knuckleheads...halt...actung...alto...guess they dont speak foriegn languages like I do, nor english for that matter...yup, just like I suspected, that ol armadillo was leadin em to ruin...he ran into a hole at the last moment before the drop off, but the boys...well, they just kept runnin, and then sailin and then rollin and tumblin...yessir, I give em a 10 for form for sure...

Right down into the hog waller they went...good thing it wasnt very wet...we ran over to the edge to see if they were all right, and yup, they were, cause they were markin the spot with, well you know...I called for em, and up they came, slower than when they went...both had a little mud on em, and were stinkin like, well, a hog...got em back to the campsite, and washed em off...gave em a treat for their work, and they fell out sound asleep...

the only picture I got was of Jack on the point...I was laughing so hard, I couldnt keep the camera steady when they were chasing the armadillo...plus the new cameras dont set up as quick as the old film cameras...by the time you get it set, the action has come and gone...I havent uploaded the picture to the computer yet, but next time I get on I will post it...

Both them ol boys slept all the way home and then couldnt get to the couch fast enough when we got home...

Now, it is 35 degrees and the wind is just howlin, and the boys are still asleep...big sissies...
ok, looks like it's soup time...

yall dont be strangers, lets have lunch, eh what????

your friend and grizzler bear hunter

DOD

Steve Puckett '65

Richard, my earliest datable memory was of the 1950 ice storm. I was fascinated by everything encased in ice. We were living on N. Shepherd at the time, somewhere near Washington - we were waiting for our house on Chantilly to be finished.

Speaking of winter storms, today & tomorrow is expected to bring us 2+ feet of snow up here in Albany. That's too much!

Beau Wann, Jr.

Here's the two great hunter/retrievers, Huckleberry Hound and Scooby Doo..you see ol Huckleberry in his three point stance...got that mean ol killer armadillo in his sights...
then both boys ready to run...and after they lost ol Arty Armadillo...

"well duh, whared he go"

now, these ol boys aint quite in the class of Teddies Dog Gus, who, is a champeen retriever, but if you need a good laugh, these chuckleheads will sure give it to you...

Richard Meek '65

Beau, it sounds like CJ and Coop are doing a fine job of keeping the armadillos amused!

Teddie Jordan

Jimmie Lee, I can imagine that Charles and the other guys playing golf down in Cabo are praying that their flights back to Dallas WILL be cancelled for a few days.

And Beau, the thought of you wearing 8 layers of clothes brings visions of the Pillsbury Dough Boy. We all think this is cold, imagine what it must really be like in Albany, NY where Steve is, or even in Indianapolis where Susan is, or Texarkana or Dallas.

Stay warm everybody.

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

Well, now we're in for it.  Woke up at 7am and no electricity.  -2 windchill factor.  Just bundling up in bed with my dogs.  Hope lack of electricity doesn't cause problems with people in hospital, etc.

Need to save my computer battery.  Stay warm, people.

Richard Meek '65

Morning all, I got to experience the rolling brown outs as I was getting ready for a 7:30. there wasn't much brown about it. More like black with no electricity. Nothing like going to meet a guy from Center Point Energy about a gas line repair at 7:30 in the morning, outside when it's 25 degrees. Headed back home to put on business clothes and have a cup of coffee to thaw out. Got hit with another brown out when the coffee was about half dripped. Oh well at least it was enough for a cup. Onward into the fog!

It was kind of funny watching Liz the Rushin Setter as she experienced her first frozen water. When she went outside for her first morning outing she came over to her outside water bowl and kept putting her tongue and nose on the ice and then cocked her head "what gives, this worked last night". i used to have a dog that was part Huskie and she would always tap the water with her fore paw before drinking. Just a trait of breed that deals with ice all the time.

I hope no one is experiencing any hardship due to this Arctic blast. Stay warm, dry and safe. It's supposed to be back to 62 here by Sunday.

Keep on dancing,

Rich

We all do better, when we all do better

Beau Wann, Jr.

Good morrow mine wobblytripians...Who in their right mind ordered this weather???? Ok people, looks like the Whirld Problem Solving and Burger and Fry Expert Coalition, needs to get together for lunch and figger out how to stop this global warming...I dont know bout you, but if this global warming persists, we're all gonna freeze to death...Well, all cept me...I have immersed myself in Franks Hot Sauce and japalenas...plus BIG OLIVER has taken up residence in me lap...that ol boy is as toasty as they come...course now, his fur is all over me and the computer...well, gotta give to get...eh what...

Took the great hunting dogs, John Boy and Cooper for our morning patrol...not a living thing was out, cept us...and I'm not so sure we were living...of course it was 20, with a WC factor of about 0 give or take...and you can take  for all I care...I dont know about anyone else, but my joints have all but frozen up...gonna have to put wheels all over my body just to get anywhere...you know, when I fall down, I will have a wheel or two there to just keep on rolling...SNAP CRACKLE AND POP...when I move, I sound like a nucular ( I know it's spelled wrong) bowl of rice krispies...

My boys did like Liz with thier water bowls outside...the look on their face..."what tha...????" so they just went over to the cement pond and drank...man, when that freezes over, we gonna be in deep kimshee...boid bath froze before we went to bed last night...boids probably gonna sue us for not having a heater...although, havent seen any boids at all...

Ok, how many of yall had chili last night???? show of hands please...hmmm ok 1, 8, 25, ok, thats good enough...I fixed some killi chili last night...man it was steamin even before I put er on the burner...was out of Fritos, so cooked up a batch of rice...chili and rice...yum...
any yall ever use Orzo???? In case you dont know what that is, it is a small rice size Pasta...pretty cool too...oh, and you can use barley ...It's kinda like oatmeal, but not...

We didnt get a brown black out this morn, and we're only a mile or so from RichLH...they probably realized who I am, and decided against it...anyone know the answer to this question...fell free to jump right in the fray of conversation...Ok, here goes...

If you have a gas heater and we do, as I am sure at least half of Houston does, and it is running and heating and generally doing what it is supposed to do, and they shut the power off, does the heater have an auto gas shut off????????? Does the heater have a batt backup to run the fan to cool the system if it is shut off in mid heat???????? Dennis H ?????? I know you know...and Gary J....too....well I dont, and I want to know...it has worried me all morn waiting for the damned elec to shut off...I turned off the heaters just waiting for it to happ;en, and it never did...

Well glory be, it has warmed up to 30...I thought I detected a tropical breeze blowing through here...
Ok, guess I will shuterdown and have lunch...hmmmm, tomato Bisque and tuna sandridge and a big glass of ICE TEA...yeah, thats the ticket...
peace love and warm to everyone...glad this aint chicago or where susan is in Indianapolis...
FROM THE FROZEN TUNDRA, THIS IS GRIZZLER ADAMS...SIGNING OFF...

John Burgess Webb

its still freezing up here in texarkana,some blowing snow yesterday but so far no ice or outage

jackie,the little fella is 'tugboat',i wanted to keep them all but i can barely handle three.the picture here is panda,tugboat,ping and debox.

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

Well, Teddie, Charles is sitting in the airport in Cabo watching flight after flight get cancelled.  Sooooo bad he's not enjoying this weather and ice.  Going down to 9 tonight.  Just hope, hope, hope, our power doesn't go out again.  Stay warm, people!

Richard Meek '65

Good morning to all Waltripians. It didn't get as cold as predicted at my house last night. No ice in the dogs water dish this morning. It was somewhere around 29 to 30 on the patio at 7:00. We're supposed to get snow and sleet tonight. They're predicting 1 to 4 inches. I know a lot of you folks north of Houston would consider that a non-event. It's is kind of amazing how you adapt as Steve Puckett mentioned some months ago. I look at the weather forecasts now and say to myself, "not too bad it's only going to get down to 26 tonight and tomorrow night". I was reading in the paper about the granddaddy of all blue northers occurred in 1911 (?) in November of all months, the temperature fell from 83 to 8 in less than 24 hrs. all on the same date. Man that  is a temperature change! I'm glad that those type blue northers take place in the Texas & OK panhandle areas not in SE Texas. It is obvious that when Liz met Coop at the Dog Fest at Oaks Presbyterian that he filled the pup in on tactical occupation of the couch during inclement weather.

Everyone stay warm, dry and off the roads if possible and keep on dancing,

Rich

Stay Calm, Carry On

Beau Wann, Jr.

Good Morrow frozen wobblytripians,  coming to you from under the covers on the frozen tundra...dont care how cold it got, cold is cold...this wont be a long entry...been having a devil of a time just getting on the net, and getting on this site...guess the lines are froze up...someone forgot to put anti-freeze in the net...AL GORE????? So, I probably wont even put this entry on...so dont read it, cause it's not gonna be there...so far, we have not lost pawr...probably wont either...seems the electrical company doesnt know we are here, cept for us payin the bill...when ever we have an outage, like during Ike, they allus tell us "we show that your pawr is on..." we were down for 2 weeks, and finally flagged down a LIVE crew, and they said, "we show your pawr is on..." !!!   I said, "follow me men, I'll show you it aint...!!! I show em, and they say, "well gahlee, it shore haint..." Them ol boys is sure sharp...

Ok, nap time, again...
stay warm, ifin you can...remember, "no job is so important, no service is so urgent, that we cant take time to be safe" or woids to that effect...
Grizzler Adams

Jackie Crowe (Finch)

Everyone stay warm and drive carefully -- our office will be closed tomorrow!  You know Houston/Texas drivers, we're not use to this stuff.  It's bad enough when it rains here. 

Jimmie Lee, tell Charles we all feel so bad for him!!! Poor Charles stranded in Cabos!

Remember Fuddrucker's next Tuesday, February 8.

Hugs

J

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

Charles made it home last night around midnight.  Couldn't believe the ice.  He had a driver bring him home.  When he went out to leave for the office this morning, second thoughts - we have a very steep driveway and it is completely frozen - no way we'll get out without sliding and probably crashing into a tree or the mailbox.  I haven't even been out to get the mail - guess the guy is making his rounds.  Stay warm guys.  At least we have our power back.

Kay Watters '65 (Greene)

Still snowing in downtown beautiful Anderson.....very tiny snowflakes, pond is iced, quiet and beautiful woods...wish we could keep it for an extra day!  I know, I know, I am probably the only one!