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Jan Barnes '65 (Nimtz)

I just read on Facebook that one of our Waltrip classmates ('65), Natasha Klock Hobart, passed away today. I do remember her quite well. She was living in Granbury. May she rest in peace.

Scotty Croom

my sister,georgia,lives in red river,nm...and had two bears in her back yard this week...

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Wow Wayne, sounds like a trip of a lifetime.  Never been on any trip or vacation that would even come close to that.  Loved the pictrue of your Great Grandfather and his sons.  Now that looks like the "wild bunch".  Check out their hats,  all great styles, what they now call the "Gus" style. I think it was originally called a "Montana".  I could be wrong, and probably am.   Wonder if they are Stetsons?  That was about the most known and easily purchased hat brand in those days. 

      What a feeling that must be to actually have worked with your grandfather, knowing he and his father were instrumental in settling this country.  Those fellas wwwere actually REAL cowboys.  When was that photo taken, somewhere around 1880? 

     I hope you took a lot of pictures on your vacation this year.  I'd love to see them. Well, saw the great pictures of the wolf and the bear, and That's about as close to those bad boys as I really want to get to.  Glad you are home safe.

    Hi scotty....

    It's been over 100 here everyday for the last 2 weeks or more. I really should keep track, but dont.  It was 105 today, according to the CHIMACS  O fficial weather station here in Chappell Hill.

    We've seen a buck and a doe with two bambis' come out in the middle of the day looking for water. Filled up the existing tank with clean water and added anothe small tank filled to the brim.  Also put lots of corn and sweet feed on the ground and in a trough for the critters.  Another brutal summer for all the critters out there, not to mention the vegetation.

    Not alot going on up here due to the heat.  I'm up before the sun, watering and other things until about 9 AM, by then it's generally 96 or so.  Then I retreat to the cool inside.  If I mow, I generally start around 7:30 PM or after and mow and work till the last vestiges of daylight.

   Had two more calves born here this past week, that makes 3, and probably a couple more to go.  Saw the third calf just after it hit the ground.  All 3 are red just like Poppa, and all three are girls. They were hoping for at least one male, but sometimes you cant always get what you want, eh!      Mommas and babies all doing fine!

    Frankenfoot is about 90 to 95 percent back to almost normal. Still swells alot each day and cant get  my workboots or cowboy boots on yet.  Doc says it will probably be semi normal around thanksgiving or Christmas.   I've been looking for some laceup workboots here, and those are scarse as hens teeth.  Oh theyve got some, but none that I'd want to wear. Guess I'll have to cross the Brazos and go east to Fairfield or Blackhorse and see if they have some to my liking.

    Might just have to break down and go to Bass Pro, I know they have some, as well as academy.  I really want a pair made in the USA, like Redwing, which I have, but in pull ons. Cant get them on my right foot due to the sensitivity and swelling. I think Rocky Boots are made here, but not many of the other brands.

    My dad use to order "RUSSELL BIRDSHOOTERS" boots from where I dont know, but he'd get them in the mail, and all before the internet.  I looked them up on line and they are still available, but have gone up considerably, like to 400 and 500 dollars. I know my dad didnt pay that much for a pair of boots back then, and seeing as how everything in the whirld has increased in price by 10 times, they must have been about 50 dollars, which was a princely sum back in them good ol days.

     Diane went to Dripping springs with her Mom and Dad and sister and brother in law to visit with some cousins. They use to live in Alpine and Fort Davis. Buster was the dentist up there.  He retired a few years back and moved to Dripping springs. Has alztheimers, or the beginnings of. Diane said he recognized her right off.  

     The group went to Wimberly and New Braunfels and Fredricksburg for a few days.  Diane says they are unrecognizable since we were there last in 88 or 89.  Fredricksburg rolled up the sidewalk at 5 pm back then. In fact most small towns closed up around 5 PM everyday. Saturdays, they all still close at noon, and hardly anyone is open on Sunday, except walymart or other huge chain store.

     They visited the Nimitz museum which is now the WWII Pacific museum.  When we were there in 89, no one else was, and we got a semi-private tour.  Diane says it is huge now, with more buildings and items of interest like one of the mini-subs that the nips used at pearl harbor, or tried to use.  they werent successful!

    I might plan a day trip up there this fall or winter depending if I want to board the pups.  It would probably be for one night, but I feel so guilty doing it.  Well, we will see what we will see!

    Time to deplane !   Keep the sun well away from you and ride baldly ride....

your frien and resident cowboy wannabe, at heart,  Me..

PS: Condolences to Natashas family

WARNING; It is known to the state of California that everything is bad for you...

Jackie Crowe (Finch)

As you remember, Barbara Raines’ brother, Norman Porter, Waltrip ‘66, passed away on June 25 in Forney, Texas.

She invites everyone to gather and celebrate Norman’s life – “Remembering Norman” at her house on August 5.

Date:              Saturday, August 5

Time:             3 p.m. to 5 p.m. (there will be a short service at 3:00)  “Remembering Norman”

Place:             1191 Chamboard, Houston, TX  77018

Please RSVP if you can attend – Barbara Raines – 832-641-5566

Pat Brantley (Ross)

Wayne, do you rent your rv or do you own one?  My husband is lane challenged- he can't stop from drifting because he has never been hit.  We took a short rv trip to west Texas 25 years ago.  We could have gone to Europe first class.  We lost the awning in I10 because he had tinkered with it while we were stopped.  He wanted to figure out how to engage it without reading instructions.  We did not injure anyone with the flying awning because God is gracious. 

Wayne Lake

I am happy to hear you folks enjoyed the Yukon trip report as I would like to encourage all to go and see  as much as you can for as long as you can.   

Pat, we rented the RV in Anchorage but RVs are not for everyone and so much of the beauty of Alaska is in S.E. as seen from the inland waterways. This is the second time to do so in AK and we did it in New Zealand once.

 If you can afford a cruise to Alaska, go for it. Personally, I like the AK Marine Highway as it has the same route as the cruise ships, it typically, sails in the day light hours, locals are the main travelers, cabins are available for overnight passages, you can get off the boat for a day or two and explore on your own and it is a lot cheaper – however – one caveat – the food sucks so bring your own!   One other problem, most hotels are expensive (short season) and tired.  

Beau, WRT to the pic of my Grand Dad (Mr. Tom) and Great Grampa (F.C. Cornelius born in Kassel Germany in 1850, arrived in Indianola Texas 1870 and took two herds from Matagorda to Abiline KS around 1878), I am not sure of the date of the pic but Mr. Tom was born in 1889 and be looks about 20 for maybe 1910 or so. The hats are interesting (no straws for thhis wild bunch) and how they wear them tells a lot about the individual personality and as you can see, Mr. Tom wears his cocked back on his head suggesting a joker or rare breed and non-conformist where my Great Grandpa was much more conservative, serious with a stern demeanor. I realized, I did not belong under a cowboy hat as I would be considered by these folks as “all hat and no cattle”.  I do wear a ball cap and I will have to defend that to Larry Don York as I never played ball either.

From the Lake Wobegon where I am trying to learn to fly fish without much success, they say you can teach an old dog new tricks but in the end you still have an old dog..................   

wtl

James King '65

Wayne, I noticed in the photo of the ranchers you posted they all looked to be slender, flat bellies I call them.  I was at the Gage Hotel in Marathon, Tx which had a circa 1900 photo of the ranchers's association meetng consisting of about 30 men.  Everyone of them were flat bellies.  No processed food and hard work. 

Teddie Jordan

Judging by the lack of activity on this website I think everyone is having a busy summer, and that is a good thing. 

I will be heading out to MD Anderson today with our friend from Palestine, Texas for our 23rd day over the last 9 months. And he is making good progress. As I think I have mentioned about that facility before, and it really applies to our entire incredible medical center, it can be intimidating at first just due to the size and scale, but ultimately it is inspirational.

See y'all at Johnny's fall flingdig in cooler weather. And this little front and lower humidity this morning are God's way of reminding us, that if we just hang in there for about six more weeks, fall is coming.

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Hello myne fyne waltripynes !

     Been a HOT summer, well duh right?  We had 110 this past Friday and Saturday, at least on the hill.  Still no rain!  Our last previous high was 109 last August.  The low a -40 this past April!   Ok, ok, I know our weather station is just a little out of kilter, but I'm working on trying to bring it back into kilter. Got my fine tune adjustment tool, (a hammer) just trying to find the right spot to giver a tap.  I think it's probably the selenium rectifier needs replacing, but that's just an uneducated guess.

     Was going to try to go to church up here on Wolvertons Mountain, but things got disrupted by a SNAKE! ! ! ! !  OMG AH HATE SNAKES...GEEZ LOUEEZ AH HATE EM.  One of the lovely little darlins had climbed up about 4 ft on Dianes potting table. It is from a 70s wrought iron wine bar someone threw away. It's about 6 ft tall, and the snake was resting comfortably in one of dianes pots 2nd shelf from the top.

    Did I say little darlin?   That bad boy was about 4 ft long and fat.  I started to just burn the house down, but didnt of course.  I got on my snake boots, a lot of good they would have done with the snake about chest high anyway.  But I need my snake boots when I'm fixin to do battle with the UGLY SLIMY HATEFUL DIRTY ROTTEN MAGGOT SNAKES....AAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGG DID I MENTION I HATE SNAKES?

    IT had a viper head, but no rattles on the tail.  Does a tree rattler have rattles?   I didnt think snakes could climb like that, and there was very little surface to get aholt of with just snake scales.  Anyway, I finally got him off the potting table and off the front porch and into the front yard where IT coiled up and watched my every move. IT never took ITS eyes off me.  My beloved was looking the "IT" up on line to see if it was a good "IT", or a bad "IT". 

    How long is the waiting period of finding out just what "IT" is, before blasting it or relocating it.  It had diamond shapes on it's ugly self and a row of bumps a foot from it's ugly tail all the way back to the tip of it's ugly tail.  It' didnt come after me like a blue indigo (blue racer) would, it just sat and watched me....shudder shudder and yuk and ew! ! ! ! ! ! ! Did I mention how much AH HATE SNAKES?

    Anyway, when it opened it's mouth to strike at the snake pole, I saw no fangs. I finally flipped it out of the yard, down the hill and over the fence. IT slithered off....GOOD RIDDANCE YOU UGLY VARMIT IT....

    I sure hope we get some rain soon.  Ground is cracked like an earthquake happened. 

    Just been trying to weather the heat. It has been a 100 before 10AM , so any work outside has to be done before 9 AM and after 7 PM.

    Looking at Waynes Great Grandfather and his sons and their hats, I was trying to look up when the first straw cowboy hat came into being, but found nothing on it.  John B Stetson started his hat company in 1865,  and the onliest (east texas for only) thing mentioned about material is fur/beaver, which they use to treat with mercury, which actually was bad for folks and drove some cowboys crazy and they died, or were shot for actually acting crazy which was not their fault.

   Stetson went out of business in the 60s and again in the 80s if my recollecter is recollecting properly, and the last time they went bankrupt, they never recovered.   However, a man named, xxxxx xxxxxx, bought the name and they are still making STETSON hats.  I love history, and facts, but not being able to remember the  facts that I read, is just so disheartening.  Anyway, you all can look it up on line if you are so inclined, or just take it that I am an authority on the subject, whatever subject that is.

     I just bought 2 stetsons, one a buffalo fur hat and the other a straw.  I love hats ! ! !  Mad for hats ! ! ! guess I'm the MAD HATTER...Not a bad thing to be I suppose, could be woise!

    Any of yall watch a show called "TEXAS CAKE HOUSE"???? It's about a couple of specialty cake makers in Austin that make the most amazing cakes I have ever seen.   I was thinking about contacting them to see if they could make a RAM cake for our next reunion.  Which leads me to my next thought...what if we had the next reunion in Brenham at the ANT STREET HOTEL?  

      It has a swell event hall on the first floor, with wooden floors and windows.  Tons of parking, and it is in downtown old Brenham, just off the square.  Dont know how many rooms they have at the connecting old hotel, but probably at least a dozen. 

   there are also half dozen modern hotels in brenham just minutes from downtown, Holiday inn, La Quinta, Best western, etc. I know it sounds selfish to want to have it here,  so I dont have to travel far, but on second thought, folks wouldnt have to fight the houston traffic to attend the event in houston.  Well, it's just a thought, doesnt have to be in Brenham, but as far away from Houston as possible. I guess the big question would be how do folks get to Brenham from the airports, providing anyonw flys in.  Something to be worked out for sure.   I imagine the hotel caters, and if not, there are plenty places that do.

    My mind is always working on stuff, that is unless I'm fighting snakes and things. Then I'm working on how to stay alive. 

   Got the all clear from my foot doc, Doc Frahnkensteen, to go wild.  It's about 90 percent back to normal, and that's good enought for me, for now. Still dont have full range, but I dont limp from it, anymore, just limp from all the other aches and pains of my manly body.

    sorry this is so short, I had lots to catch up on, but forgot most of it. I will try to do better next time.

So in the meantime, stay calm cool and collective.

Keep the sun at your six and ride baldly ride...

Your frien and resident Mad Hatter, ME !

WARNING; It is known to the state of California that California is bad for you

(dont blame me, I dont make this stuff up)    

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Good morning Waltripians!   Yesterday was 70 degrees at sunup.  Thought it was suppose to stay in the low 90s, but went up to 104. So much for cooler weather! Suppose to get rain today and maybe the rest of the week, sure hope so.  A gentle rain would be nice, not the usual gully washin frog strangler 20 incher we've been blessed with in the past.  I know, nothin ever pleases me, right?

    Got lots of activity down at the dry creek feeder. Lots of coons and deah, and one big ol ugly black HOG.  Last time we saw him, he was with mama and 12 piglets about a year ago.  This might be  big brother, cause he seems a lot larger. 

    Once again, I've forgotten what I was going to say.  Hmmmmm...Oh well, it will come to me when I'm not here.    August already ! ! !      Hope everyone is enjoying a summer and year blessed with good blessings! The years sure do fly by dont they.   Been 72 years since birth, 53 years since high school, 33 years since last wedding, and 10 minutes since my last cup O Joe.  Where is that woman...."FLO"?  Dang it girl bring me another cup of coffee....geeze I have to do everything myself...oh the humanity!

    Nah, just funnin.  We did find one of the old coffees revived by the Duncan Coffee company of Houston. It's called "BRIGHT MORNINGS".  It has a rooster crowing on the front of the package and was introduced in 1918. The Duncan coffee company is probably older than that. They started selling it wholesale sometime back. In fact thats the company that Mr Kaplan, of Kaplan Ben Hur, bought his beans from.  What a nice man he is!  It's a shame no one in his family wanted to keep the business going.  

    Sorry, my mind is a blank today!  Today?  Try everyday!  Guess it must be the heat, yeah, that's the ticket, it's the heat!.

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

Your frien and sooth sayin sooth sayer, Clifton clowers of wolverton mountain.

WARNING: (fill in the blank) 

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Howdy myne favorite peoples !   We finally got rain yesterday, 2 glorious inches. You could actually hear the sigh of relief from all the little critters and the trees and vegetations.

     Not much else going on today. Took the children, One eyed Jack and Dixie Belle, to the recycle and trash place in Brenham. I go the back road so Jack can hang his head out the window.  I do less than 30 MPH, the vet said that wouldnt cause any problems going that slow.   Jack loves to ride in the car. Dixie Belle just loves to be where ever we all are. 

     I think I'm going to have a nap. It will be a pre-nap for the actual real official nap. So see ya zzzzzzzzzzz

Beau Wann, Jr.

     It's me again!  Hoo else?  Not much going on up here in the high country. A little rain, clouds and below 100 temps. We love that. Didnt get the heavy floods that everyone else seemed to get, glory be!  Got enough to wet the ground and vegetation. 

     Mainly just puttering around ye olde homestead. Mow a little bit, weed eat a little bit, put out feed fro the critters.  Checked the game camera and got a huge ol nasty looking hog. That ol boy must weigh in at 300 pounds.  Got a mama doe with two babies, still in spots. Got an 8 point buck with a huge rack, still in velvet. Previous years we had a herd of a dozen or more cross twice daily.  I put out some pungent sweet feed to try to attract the critters.  The only thing I shoot them with is a camera.

     Heard from a few members of my old squadron.  They are moving about all over the country. Vacations and visiting. I guess that's what all you old people do when you get old, saunter about.  Use to love traveling, but since all the injuries to the back and legs and shoulders and this old body in general, I'm pretty much a stay at home person.  Standing and laying down are the best positions, and standing isnt all that good. But, whatcha gonna dew, call ghostbusters?

     Sad to see Glenn Campbell pass away, but a blessing in that he had the A word disease.  He was so talented. I remember when I first heard "GALVESTON", I was out of the country, and I thought, "why would anyone sing about Galveston"!  Had a good melody, but didnt make much since to me!  I did like most of his songs though.     I learned "By the time I get to Phoenix" whilst at a base with an NCO club that you could check out things like guitars and whatnot.

    I was sitting in one of the side rooms playing and singing that song, and when I finished, a voice from behind me spoke saying she " thought someone left the radio on"... Best compliment I ever received.  Ok, time to depart and quit boring you with drivel.

Keep the sun at your six and ride boldly ride...and drink Bright and Early coffee...yum

Your frien and resident knut  ME

Teddie Jordan

You never bore us Cephus. You entertain and enlighten us. 

Keep on being active and moving, and commenting!

See you at Johnny's Fall Flingdig.

Scotty Croom

got back from week in laughlin/vegas...hot....good times....

Earline Knight (Parks)

Just want to say how much I'm enjoying reading all the posts every day.  What a great website!  Since I was only recenty "found" by Ginny and haven't stayed in touch for so many years, I don't really have much to add to the dialogue.  Just hoping I wil be available for the next get together to renew friendships.

Earline Knight (Parks)

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

Earline, we were so excited when Jenny FOUND YOU!!!!  The reunion committee has been searching for you for decades and with Jenny's "super power contacts" was able to locate you.  She also found Muckleroy and a "most current" location for Ann Morehouse, but I've had no response from Ann or her family from a letter I mailed her months ago. 

I hope you'll come to our Fall Fling and we can catch up. 

Beau Wann, Jr.

    "I'm the wanderer, yes the wanderer, I roam around and round and round..."  Welcome back Scotty...And welcome to the Twilight Zone, Earline.  So glad to have you here on the forum. You will find nothing but love here in the land of Nod.... That Jenny is something else isnt she!  Hi Jimmie Lee ! ! ! 

   My youngest is headed for Alaska after just getting back from New Orleans, after just getting back from Montana, and then to San Cabo or where ever they go in mexico.   I was thinking about doing a little traveling myownself, down to the creek to open the gate and back up to the house.  Danged exciting huh!

   Ok, one of the cats is hollaring at me to do something, probably left a hairball in one of my shoes.  See, I get to travel and get presents too also too. Ha, and you think I lead a dull life!  Just no end to my entertainment here on blueberry hill....

I'll be bback.... 

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Good nafteroon myne fyne Waltripynes...A fixin to, go out and mow the lower 40 down by the crick. Well, in an hour or so, it's still 96+ here in the wanndes.  Visited a little country church in the country this mornin. Wow, what a nice group of folks.  It's something I've been missing for the last couple of years. I sort of left Oaks a few years back. I've been missing sitting in one of the pews with my beloved. She still attends Oaks every first sunday where she is the liturgist and serves communion and counts the offering etc. Making that 2 hour round trip drive really hurts, so I opt not to go.

    The church here, one of them, is the United Methodist Church of Chappell Hill. It was started in 1849, and a sanctuary was built in 1853 and served the community until the early morning ours of Sunday Sept 9, 1900. It along with the school was completely destroyed by the great Galveston Storm of 1900. We're about a 100 miles from the coast too.

    The Present building, the one we were in this fine morning, was built in 1901. Still mostly the same 116 years later, with a few additions, like a ramp in 1989, and indoor plumbing in 1990, and central heat and air in 1992, and an education building in 2001.  The woodwork in side is woody, and the stained glass winder lights (east texas for windows) are purty(east texas for purty). Sort of reminds me of something Norman Bates would be in charge of.

    Inclosed, please find a picture of my new church...

     In case you were wondering, Wilson, from the picture "CASTAWAY" lives here in Chappell Hill at the church. As you can see, he is doing fine and looks remarkably healthy since the last time he was seen floating away in the big pac.  He says it was him, and not a stunt double in all the film. Wow, makeup and wardrobe sure made him look drab didnt they.  He's been trying to get Tom Hanks to come visit, but conflicting schedules run amok.

     The church is in uptown Chappell Hill next to the old school turned museum. Lots of artifacts including the primitive tools used to build the church.  they are taking bids on landscaping and new stairs and taking one of the huge cottonwood trees down.  The top of it crashed and left a gaping hole filled with water, so it is dying...BOO...I hate it when trees have to be cut down. Methinks they are going to take it down this Tuesday. I have one picture of it, but will take a couple more before the end.

    Well, I'm burning daylight so got to git on out and git er done...keep the sun at your six and ride boldly ride...

Your frien and resident nut, Spalding,  Wilsons buddy...

Jackie Crowe (Finch)

Hey BroBeau!!

I have a big smile on my face and thanking you for uplifting my spirits this morning with your wonderful story and picture of the old Chappell Hill Methodist church, magnificent beauty and what history behind it --- if pews could only talk!!!

Also glad you found Wilson in such fine shape and posted his pic.   He looks good for what he went through.

You take care and don't overdo -- too hot yesterday for you to mow, even in the evening.  Have a good week and a good week to all of my Waltrip family.  Remember Fall Fling - Saturday, October 28 at Goode Company; send Johnny a text or call him if you are attending.  Or RSVP on the message forum. All information is on Home Page and "Announcements/Current Events".  

Love hugs

Kay Watters '65 (Greene)

Ssshhh....I'm pretending I'm a mole hiding from the heat and the sun!  At this point, strongly considering finding a place not so Texas hot!  Even Galveston has not been protected this summer....hitting 100 today.

I am painting my back porch in the morning hours.  Erroneously bought some beautiful leftover paint and it turned out to be EXterior paint, so putting it to use.  It is bedroom gray-blue, which I wanted in the bedroom, so I have a white porch and have decided to coordinate the white and blue into a beach-type effect.  Liking it so far.and keeps me outside!  I have a new interest on sitting out on the back as well as my fav. front porch.

I know we avoid the political here, but on a historical point,  I think it is a shame we are letting those with opportunis attitudes lead this attack of our statutes and graves  It remains to be all of our history and tomorrow's history should show we have better things to leave our children than this.  It seems the 1960's was never taken seriously and a shameful acknowledgement of how men. continue to think and act.  I wonder if I could lead an old senior flowerchild movement. and take it on the road throughout the U.S...lol  We are in need of love, and peace....lol.  Well there you have it, just my pitch for the day. (After all, my dad's name IS Robert Lee, maybe I should change it on his tombstone, you can't erase all of history....lol)

On a happier note, I'll be attending the usual Wednesday Senior Center in Anderson today, where they promise a healthy delicious lunch and good fellowship with some wonderful more senior men and women, 10-12 of 'em. for a mere $2.

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Hey Kay.   Hope your back porch turns out ok. We just painted the ceiling of our front porch and only the outside the screened in porch part. Did that before the Annual Cooper Memorial Softball game.  Doesnt keep the birds or insects away, or snakes.  Havent seeen any elephants though, so it's working in that department.

     I'm with you on the history aspect.  It's a terrible inflammatory slippery slope that folks have embarked on with the flames fanned by the less intelligent part of the gene pool and gasoline being poured on it by the leftist media.  I always thought the media was supposed to be impartial and just report the news, not take sides and create news. 

    My family fought in the revolution on both sides, ancestry  from England and Scotland, and in the civil war on both sides, some living in the north and some the south and I imagine some fought on both sides in WWI and WWII being that my ancestors were of germanic descent and caucasian etc.   Lord, what a dilema I have trying to erase my family history. Wont be long, and it will be illegal to be us.  Probably wont be allowed to be out after sunrise and before sunset. Then be out at all !  Go figure!

   Who would have thunk it that history should be made illegal.  Next it will be the text books that have any reference to whatever the idiots in power dont want them to reference.  Sad sad sad, and very dangerous! ! !

    Oh Kay, what are they going to do about the CONFEDERATE Memorial park in Anderson?  We have a Masonic Cemetery here in Chappell Hill, and a lot of the graves are Johnny rebs, oh horror! ! !  Some of the grave stones are adorned with the stars and bars.  Gasp! ! !  And the museum here has all the flags used by the Rebs in the civil war...ooh noo Mr Bill ! ! ! 

    The news media conveniently doesnt mention the atroscities committed by both sides, but after all it was war, and it really depends on whose side you're on. They dont mention that Black Union soldiers burned Brenham, and marshall law was declared and a curfew was set for all the mean southerners.  But that's ok.

    Been to the Nimitz Museum lately?   It's now called the Pacific War memorial or something along those lines.  There is a Japanese garden there donated by Japan. I guess as sort of an atonement for starting all the crap they did and perpetating the MAJOR atrocities they carried out.  Their leadership said it was ok because they didnt sign the Geneva convention so they did not have to treat POWs according to it. Yet we treated the Japanese POWs by the Geneva Accord.

    Everynow and then there is a murmur or thump, perpetrated by the news media trying to create some news, about the U.S. dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We wouldnt have had to if they had not attacked us in the first place.  AND, we dropped leaflets to the citizens of both cities warning them of what we intended to do. They chose not to heed those warnings. Plus the offer for them to surrender was on the table, with no response from them.   US and British bombers killed more in one night in bombing runs over Germany than the two atomic bombs did in Japan. Does the name Dresden strike a familiar sound?

There was also a coup attempt in Japan by the savage and barbaric warmongers to depose Hirohito and continue fighting till the last person.   It was estimated that had we invaded Japan, the US losses would have been 1.5 million US soldiers and untold millions of Japanese civilians.

   Anyway you look at it, war is not good, but sometimes a necessary evil.  If the German people had risen up against the likes of Hitler, maybe that war could have been avoided. If the people of Russia had stood up to the bolsheviks maybe we wouldnt be having all the problems with them.  It was only about 12 percent of the population, the bolshevils that took over Russia.  Where was the other 88 percent. Same with the chinese communists. Small number of savages took over. Mostly our fault because we wouldnt support chaing kai chek after the WWII. Now look what we're dealing with.

    Korea and Vietman, same thing. Small group of savages taking over, and the people allowing it.

    I do hope no one has been offended by what I've written, it's just history, and really not political at all even though politics did cause wars over the years. If you're offended, say so and I will erase it.

   I'm glad not to be living in the city. 

   You know, when I went to the little country church in country Sunday, Chappell Hill United Methodist Church, as we filed out the front door, I could not help but notice how beautiful it was. All the cottonwood trees and pecan trees and flowers, and no traffic whizzing about. It felt as though I was walking out of heaven right back into heaven, the very thing we were at church to do, praise the creator for everything inside and outside!  Amazing!  If folks would just take the time to enjoy the many blessings we have rather than trying to start yet another war...

Time to deplane...Keep the sun at your six and ride boldly ride...

Youre frien and resident Mean ol grumpy southern boy...Cephus E Lee.

Beau Wann, Jr.

     It's me again Margaret, grumpy ol mean southern bub. I was sitting here eating some dark chocolate raisinets, the expiration date is slowly approaching, Jun 2018.  Well, someone has to protect folks from out of date dark chocolate raisinets, might as well be me.  Anyway, I got to thinking about stuff, did you know, and I just learned this myself this week, that Spain was allowed to harbor nazis war criminals for some reason or another. I thought they said, that Spain was allowed to because they were alligned with the nazis.   WHAT???

   If that was the case, why didnt we just bomb the crappola out of them like we did with all the other nations that alligned themselves with the evil empire, like Italy and the like! Hmmmm???  We didnt, so that's all behind us. However I saw an interview in spain with one of the SS bosses back in 1972. He was asked if he would do anything different, to which he replied that no, he would do everything the same all over again.  I noticed he was puffing on a cigarette, maybe more than one, he was smoking like a steam engine

   .  I was thinking, keep puffin, and you just might not be able to do anything at all but try to explain to the Lord just why you were so evil. Of course that conversation probably would last a nano second...  Lo and behold, 2 years later he died of cancer...aawwwwww, dang and I never got to meet him...and smack in in the face!

   They showed his funeral, and it was bedecked with nazis symbols and his nazis cronies were giving the nazis salute.  this was in 1974!   I guess Spain learned nothing from WWII.  Who is to say that the nazis wont try it again from spain if left unchecked?   Has spain erected any monuments to the evil empire? 

      Big statue of hitler and borman and himmler and goering comes to mind, and of course the swatzika, which by the way is a Spanish symbol.   Websters says it was "an old world symbol" and quickly points out used in America since prehistoric times.  It was also an oriental and an American Indian symbol, one backwards from the nazis symbol.

    I actually had a point to all this, which I quickly lost sight of. It went winging off in the infinite, or cybor bully space. That's another thing, "cybor bullying"...why would someone waste their time doing that, and more importantly why would someone read it. If it bothers you, just delete it, or dont look at it.

     Eventually the moron responsible for the, whatever it is, will get bored with it and give up and move on to someone else.
Eleanore Roosevelt said,  "no one can intimidate you unless you let them"...how true. sMethinks folks are too sensitive for the wrong reasons, and chained to their communication devices.

    Would Theodore Roosevelt be  considered a bully?  I think he use to say "bully" alot, or so I hear!
Plus he coined the phrase, "walk softly and carry a big stick" or something close to that.  Oh my, maybe we should strike him from the history books for "hate speech" . It's clearly a breach of sensitivity and rather intimidating, wouldnt you say.  One of my cats is clearly incensed by it.  She's using one of my boots for a scratching post. Good thing I've got steel toed boots on.

   It's quite clear, you can get into trouble for saying too much, or not saying enough, go figure!  "Well, you didnt condemn the actions of these individuals, makes you bad"...WHY?  I wasnt there, I had nothing to do with it, and dont know anything about what was going on, AND DONT CARE! ! !  

    We out here in the country have more important things to do, like stay out of the heat and sensitive stuff like that.   And I was wondering if the fireflies are coming back this fall, I sure hope so!  They were such a pleasant distraction.

    I was wondering if anyone would be up to coming out to a party up here in the wanndes. Havent decided on a date yet, preferably in cooler weather and not to conflict with t he Fall Ball Fling,  This would just be a Beau and Diane party and you wouldnt be required to bring anything or donate any money, just come and have fun. Maybe watch the fireflies together. If it rains, maybe shoot off some fireworks. Cant now, there is a "BURN BAN" in effect in Washington County as in most counties.  We havent gotten but a couple of inches since spring.

   Ok, time to deplane boss...keep the sun at uyour six and ride boldly ride...

your frien and resident "mean ol grumpy southern bub"  Cephus E Lee  

Kay Watters '65 (Greene)

Amen, Brother Beau!  

About that conferderate fellow statute....local big notches totally absorbed in the Confederate doings  tried to have it installed around the Courthouse grounds, and were told NO...so two of em Jim Westmoreland and Marcus Mallard, who is deceased and has the Courthouse Antiques on Main St....(plug) got together and had the parcel of land across the street on Main, put the statute there with names of local folk who fought in the war inscribed on bricks, you walk on, and  a park bench, and trees, right beside the Anderson Senior Ctr.  Nice place to have a sandwich and remember the past.  As far as I know there was a spat of black folk and liberal folk when it was constructed, and has not been a conflict since then.  We all work together here, this is a farming community and we all need each other!  Down the south end of Main Street is the widely known Fanthorpe Inn, an original home of v. pres. Anderson I think, which later became a hotel and post office.  It is an interesting tour, for $1 and they offer stagecoach rides  also by state employees, special times there is a replica of nighttime activities, a poemster, and such.  Yes, there is a great cemetery tucked away on the other side of the road, I like to visit all occasionally.  

Yes, these country churches, mine, lack the big tv screens coffee gatherings and such but good bible sermons.

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Amen Kay. We have visited the Confederate park, and agree it is serene.  Sat there one cool autumn day and just reflected on our life during the civil wahwah. I was a colonel back then in line to make Brig General when the wahwah was over. Ah lacked the sound of that then, cunnel Beauregard Cephus E. Lee Wann....Brig Genral Beauregard Cephus E. Lee Wann....oh wait, I wasnt in the civil wahwah and so that would make it NOT MY FAULT, but sure has made it our problem hasnt it. 

    Didnt know the Fanthorpe Inn had tours. Shucky darn, one dollar tours is mah specialty.

     Wonder why the Custis/Lee house hasnt been torn down. After all, it was where Robert E Lee lived befoa the wahwah. And to think the feds are keeping the memory of Robert E Lee alive and supporting the confederacy and his beliefs with owning that house. Glory Be! ! !

    Saw where the gutless mayor of baltimore had all the Confederate civil wahwah statues removed in the middle of the night. "we dont want any trouble, so we took em down".  What a gal  ! !

   Ah have changed mah rangtone to "Dixie"....Mah dawg is named Dixie Belle Lee...Hmmm, ah wunda whateva is wrong with me !   Couldnt be because I like the music and the name could it?  Why so it is! You remember that song was in the selections that the music teacher brought around with her, I remember singing it along with the Battlehymn of the Republic.     Can you imagine that today!

    You know Kay, we are suppose to have Freedom of Speech, which is garanteed in the constitution...until they came up with the "hate speech"  law.  So now, there is no freedom of speech!  Whoeva is making up the rules and laws can now determine if what you are saying is hate because it differs from their desires. Ah wonda when they will deem talkin about the confederacy, hate speech!  Or reading about it?  Jumpin gehosaphat, shades of Fahrenheit 451.

    Ah say the nation is worse off now than in 1776 and 1865!  "We hold these truths to be self evident..." not anymore boys and girls, not anymore.

   Hey Kay, what about that restaurant that's on the northside of Anderson, the family restaurant?  They wouldnt serve my son and I the only time we visited.  Wonder who they thought we were. Yankees or Rebs. We'll never know, never went back.

   I sure miss that drive to our old place, Anderson, Roans Prarie, North Zulch, Iola, Normangee. Ever now and again I see someones obit who was from one of those places. Last one was Iola. Didnt know them, and dont remember their namees, but remember the little towns they were from.  Hard as life was a hundred or so years ago, it was still so much simpler. 

    I always stopped in North Zulch to buy a lottery ticket hoping to win so I could see in the paper , "a lotto ticket from the Texas Town of North Zulch won" Where the heck is north Zulch?   It's, AH SAY BOY,  ARE YOU LISTENING , IT'S JUST NORTH OF SOUTH ZULCH"  And that there is a chicken.  Man Ah loved Foghorn Leghorn.

   The church building I was in last Sunday was just 1 year old a hunnert year ago. The woodwork was hand rubbed with boiled linseed all, and hasnt been touched in 116 years, and is still swell.  Ah will take pictures of the stained glass winderlights (east texas for window) and show em to all yall.  The folks here were smart, they installed plexiglass on the outside of the winderlights so folks couldnt shoot em out.

     ah tried to get Oaks to do that to theirs, but they didnt want to.  The glass in that church came from Italy over 60 years ago, and cante be duplicated. The glass replaced because wonderful brats with BB guns have shot holes in them, is not the same color and is noticeable. Oh well, no longa mah cuncurns.

    Well kay, guess I'll mosey on down ta the genral sto and git me a chaw of terbaccy, mebbee a cold RC, a moonpie and some pawpaw jelly...keep the sun at your six and ride boldly ride...

    Your frien and resident mean ol grumpy southern bub... Cunnel Beauregard Cephus E. Lee, renasissance man esq..  

Beau Wann, Jr.

     You know what else?  Ah did somthin dazzlin taday...ah stood in an aint bed as penance for mah part in the civil wahwah and slavery....actually ah was waterin mah trees and only noticed that I was standin in an aint bed because the blaggerts were bitting the fool out of mah feet. Did mah best version of St. Vidas daince. (who was St. Vidas)   Good think I had my hose  handy.  had to get almost plumb nekid (east texas for nekid) before I went in the house.  Not a pretty picture atall.

   Anyone out there do chain link fences?  anyone anyone??  Need to get one installed.  Guess I'll have to do it mahownself.  got a quote of 17.50 a foot. I laughed at em, told em go go away!  

     The eclipse is coming, the eclipse is coming....so what!  Ah really dont care about the solar eclipse, as long as the sun comes back at some point. They keep beating us over the head with, "DONT LOOK AT IT DONT LOOK AT IT, THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING" Duh, who out there doesnt know to not look at it? I know, some numbskull that shouldnt be in the gene pool will stare at it and go blind and sue someone!

   Ok, bye for now, but "I'LL BE BACK"  Mah best norman swartszkophinnegger, or whatever!