Monthly Archives: October 2010

Hill Country Happenings

Now There Are Three

Coming back in from my morning walk on this past Tuesday, and no, I didn’t see or take a “shot” of anything, and walking toward the old ranch house I noticed a writin’ spider’s web where I hadn’t seen one before. This one, the third around the old house, was on the northeast corner and it was real busy writin’. The other two are on the southeast corner and on one of the eaves on the west side.

Why do they “write” on their web, a quick search of Wikipedia provided some answers. Their webs, especially the writin’, reflect UV light, attracts insects and, possibly, alerts larger animals about the web so the spider won’t be stepped on and squshed! Its bite is harmless to humans and even has some therapeutic medical agents in its venom.

Changing into my work clothes, I went back outside and took these “shots” of the third one.

On August 8, 2008 in “[The Writin’ Spider]” I took a picture of the first writin’ spider that I had come across. It was between the old house and the tool shed. She must have been successful, because now there are three!

Hunting

Training Class

Dark comes early on the east side of the McDowell Mountains outside of Scottsdale, Arizona, but it was barely light enough for this picture of Beachnut’s Rooster Cogburn, my first Brittany Spaniel, and the first Gamble quail he pointed and I downed. Rooster is all smiles as he poses!

In October of 1972, Rooster wasn’t yet a year old and Jake Schroder and I had taken him and his littermate, Jake’s Ned Pepper out for some training and a go at some Gambles. Back then there were a lot of birds around there, the southeast end of the McDowells, but now the area is Fountain Hills, population over 30,000 and not many quail now. Back then Jake and I knew a fountain was being built, but when it was finished, it surprised us, because hourly, it sent a stream of water up over 500 feet! Some fountain!

We never took a picture of the fountain, but Wikipedia has a nice one that I “borrowed”!

We enjoyed a good Saturday afternoon hunt, the young dogs pointed fairly well, they kinda’ retrieved the birds we shot bringing them about halfway back, they broke 2 or 3 points chasing the fast running Gambles, but overall it was a successful outing.

Rooster became a very, protective part of our family and hunted with my boys and I for the next 8 years. He overcame a broken hip at 2, suffered, while defending our Georgia home, when he tangled with a collie and both of them rolled down a steep hill. We always said, Rooster was the fastest three legged, dog around!

Uncategorized

Lest We Forget

The following was well, written by a Christian friend, fellow softball player and neighbor, Mickey Donahoo. It was too good not to pass on!

Lest We forget

By Mickey Donahoo

“The day was September 12, 2010 in Goldthwaite, Texas when I heard one of our locals say, “Everyone needs to get past all of this 9/11 stuff. In fact, everyone needs to get past WWII, Korea and Iraq and get on with life.”

Recently my softball tournament team traveled to Dalton, Georgia to compete in the SPA National Playoffs and at the end of the first day of play, the SPA put on their annual celebration. The festivities included homerun derbies, batting skill competition and all star competition.

Although my wife and I had traveled over 1,000 miles to compete in softball, the part of the tournament that really stands out is not the wins, losses, great plays or the friendships made, but was the celebration remembering our nations military – the veterans who served and those who gave all that we might live in the country we have today.

As the anthem for each military group played, and their flags paraded by – one for the Army, one for the Navy, one for the Air Force, one for the Marines, one for the Coast Guard, one for the Pow/Mia’s, one for Iraqi Freedom, one for the moms who had sons and daughters serving in Afghanistan and one for the United States – there was probably not a dry eye in the entire sports complex. Tears because we do remember whom and what we owe for the country and freedom which we have today. There was also a banner at the tournament that stated, “All gave some, some gave all.”

It is because of these memories that I cannot watch the Stars and Stripes being raised at a football game and sing the National Anthem without a tear rolling down my cheek. When I see the flag being raised, I always see it being raised on Iwo Jima and many other places around the world from where so many of our young men and women and family members did not return.

In spite of the fact that some are trying to erase our history from our history books, or that some say, “We need to get over the past,” I choose to never forget the sacrifices made by some so that the rest of us can live in “the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.” We must remember, “Freedom is Never Free.”

However there are some things that are actually better forgotten, so if you happen to see me around town, don’t ask about the tournament – I am working on forgetting it.”

The SPA Nationals was a tournament that I did not attend because I stayed home to watch my Grandson’s team, Goldthwaite High School play their arch rival, San Saba, (Goldthwaite won in overtime), but in the past, I have proudly, walked/marched out on to the field behind the banner of the U.S. Army. It is really something to see hundreds of men and women lined up, according the their branch of services, on the ball field, band playing, people clapping – it makes you feel real good that someone else remembers!

Everyone should always remember that of all the nations we have freed from tyranny, we have only asked one thing – “Just give us the space to bury our dead.”

Pictures

More Outdoors Pictures, October 3, 2010

The morning of Tuesday, the 28th, was a good one for deer movement, first thing to show up was a spike and 5 other deer.

Then, 5 minutes later one of the deer had moved on, but the spike was still there.

At 8:30 AM, 6 deer were gathered around the feeder and a yearling with little horns had walked up.  The spike was still there too.

Here’s an interesting “shot”.  On Thursday while going out to exchange 2GB memory cards in the GameCam, these 3 deer heard me coming, one jumping out of the feed pen and were in the process of clearing the area.  When I drove up to the feeder at 8:30 the deer were gone!