Texas Time

As I said earlier this month (August 2006) in my very first BLOG this is a new and unfamiliar adventure for an old timer like me. My time setting was for Los Angles. I'm in Texas, the Central Time Zone. With the help of my son who is more "hep" to these sort of things I changed my time setting to UTC -6:00 America/Chicago which is the Central Time Zone. Future BLOGs should now reflect the correct time.

Islamic fascism

I watched a four hour documentary this evening on the National Geographic Channel about the Islamic jihad with the numerous terrorists events beginning in the 1980's leading up to 9/11 and the aftermath up to the current month. It was unnerving to watch all the terrorists acts that wrought so much destruction and death to so many innocent people. The most chilling of all was the quotation from Osama bin Laden that ended the program.

"We love death. The United States loves life. That is the big difference between us."

In the 1960's I worked a short while in the Middle East. I quickly learned they perceived compassion as a weakness to be exploited. Later after I returned home I wrote the following based on my experiences and observations among the followers of Islam:

ISLAM and CHRISTIANITY

HATE is to Islam as LOVE is to Christianity
DECEIT is to Islam as TRUTH is to Christianity
DESPAIR is to Islam as HOPE is to Christianity
MALICE is to Islam as KINDNESS is to Christianity
GREED is to Islam as CHARITY is to Christianity
CRUELTY is to Islam as MERCY is to Christianity
DEATH is to Islam as LIFE is to Christianity

In Islam LIFE is a sacrifice to Allah.
In Christianity LIFE is a precious gift from God.

There is no way you can negotiate with someone intent on killing you. You have nothing to offer him except your life. Political correctness means nothing to him.

We as a nation have to get out of this political correctness and rules of engagement when fighting people whose sole purpose is to kill us. I served in the Army paratroopers at the end of WW II. I was not in combat, but had Truman been politically correct and NOT dropped "the bomb" on Japan I probably would have been one of the many soldiers fighting a very nasty war in the Japanese homeland. In WW II the only rules of engagement was kill the enemy before he kills you.

Far too many Americans DO NOT understand what our nation and our culture is up against with Islamic jihadists. They want to destroy our culture. You can not negotiate with someone intent on destroying you. We had better ALL get on board with the effort to destroy Islamic fascism before it or the fire ants get us first.

George Armstrong Custer

I'm reading a book, "The Battle of the Washita - The Sheridan-Custer Indian Campaign of 1867-69" by Stan Hoig. It is about Custer and events leading up to the Battle of the Washita which occurred November 27, 1868 when the 7th Regiment of the United States Cavalry, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer, attacked and massacred a Cheyenne Indian village under Chief Black Kettle on the Washita River in the Indian Territory. Black Kettle, his wife, and Chief Little Rock were killed along with more than a hundred other men, women, and children of the tribe. The village was burned and nearly eight hundred horses shot.

Custer, "the great Indian fighter of the Plains Indian wars" as often portrayed in the movies was really very inept at fighting the Indians with his final ineptness displayed at the Little Big Horn.

Hoig's book is not a novel. It is a historical account taken from official U.S. Army records and documents. There are numerous instances which display Custer's ineptness matching military wits with the Indians and the Western environment. I found this particular quote from the book to be rather amusing:

"As his (Custer's) column marched northward toward the Smoky Hill River, he rode on ahead with his dogs and his chief bugler. Spotting a large buffalo, he began a chase that separated him from the bugler. The buffalo turned when Custer caught up to him and charged Custer's horse, actually his wife's very favorite mount,

In controlling the reins with both hands, while one held his pistol, Custer accidentally shot the horse in the head, killing it. Just as suddenly, Custer found himself afoot facing the buffalo, which now rambled away, and completely lost in the vastness of the open prairie Custer began walking in what he hoped was the direction of his command. Finally a line of dust proved to be that of his troops, and he was rescued from what had been a very foolish adventure for a commander of troops on an Indian hunt".

Correction - Esther Williams

My apology. Esther Williams was NOT of 1936 Olympic fame. She was a member of the 1940 USA Team to compete at the 1940 Olympics in Tokyo which were cancelled due to tensions leading to the attack at Pearl Harbor and thus World War II. Nevertheless, she went on to great success as a movie star, business woman, and mother of three.

Old Movie (1945) "Thrill of a Romance"

Watched an old movie (1945), "Thrill of a Romance", with Esther Williams, Van Johnson, Lauritz Melchoir, and Tommy Dorsey and his band on TMC-TV this evening. I mostly wanted to listen to the Tommy Dorsey music. I am so tired of hearing the "rock" and "rap-crap" noise that is played today for music. Mozart would turn over in his grave. He said, "Music is not meant to offend the ear". The plot was weak and "hokey", but then that is what we watched in 1945. It was fun to watch Esther swim and dive. For you youngesters she was a beauty of 1936 Olympic fame.

Rained last night. Had less than 1/10th of an inch in the rain gauge this morning. Not enough to do any good. The cows don't even go out into the pastures looking for something to eat. They just hang around near the barn waiting for me to put out some hay.

Copperhead Snake

Killed a copperhead snake (about 15 inches long) this morning in the flower bed on the north side of the garage close to the breezeway between the house and garage. I really didn't want to kill it. I would like to have caught it and turned it loose down by the creek (which is dry), but I couldn't take a chance of it biting me. I couldn't leave it that close to the breezway because if my wife saw it she would have a "chissy" fit. It is so dry it came up to the house for moisture where I water in the flower beds. This is the second copperhead I've killed this year. I killed one earlier this Spring down near the barn. I've seen only one other snake this year. It was a little garden snake about 20 inches long. I just let it go. It was non-poisonous.

Oh, and the other day I forgot one of my main Grand Ranch Principles of Physics:

When the septic system fails it is ALWAYS when you have out-of-town visitors.

Some Grand Ranch Principles of Physics

When a tree near a fence falls it will ALWAYS fall on the fence.

When a cow has a new-born calf you will ALWAYS find them in the most unlikely place.

When the tractor runs out of gas it will ALWAYS be the fartherest from the barn.

When a dog howls at the moon it will ALWAYS be just outside the bedroom window.

When the coyotes get a calf it will ALWAYS be the best one.

When the rooster crows it will ALWAYS be time to get up.

When the barn roof has a hole it will ALWAYS leak when it rains.

Grocery Shopping

One of my least fun things in life is grocery shopping with my wife. We go into the store with 15 items on her list. We check out with 32 items. How can that be? First, we go through the produce section. She picks up, squeezes, smells, shakes, turns over, etc. Puts it down and picks up another. I fittingly stand around like a horse stomping flies. She finally makes a choice and I bag it for her, and we move on down the aisle to the next item. She sees what looks like a good buy on fresh peaches. We go through the whole process again, and again, and again. Then, she can't decided which cake to buy--french lemon vanilla or chocolate. She asks me. "Chocolate" is a quick anwser. She can't find the "Goya" whatever the heck that is. I help look for it but have no idea what I'm looking for. On to the can goods. She reads the labels on every can. I'm still "stomping flies". Can't find any green peas or cut okra in the frozen food section. I "paw" through the freezer and finally find some peas, but no okra. Ah, the meat counter. She finally picks out a package of four nice looking new york cut steaks after thoroughly inspecting at least a dozen or so. Finally, we get through the check out and to a very hot car. Hurry home to get the frozen goods in the freezer. Whew! I'm ready for a glass of ice cold grape juice and a nap.

Fire Ants

It is so hot and dry even the fire ants are not out stiring around. They're staying down in their burrows where it is cooler. They are mean little "boogers" and their bite is painful, especially when several get on you before you know it. Run rub some Clorox on the bites. That helps relieve the pain. If the environmentalists want something to really worry about, then they should worry about the fire ants. They've done more to the environment than global warming ever has. They are destroying every little critter that lives on or near the ground and is at the bottom of the food chain. Used to be every evening in the summer we could hear the call of numerous whipp-o-wills. Now there are none to be heard. They nest on the ground and the fire ants consume the young before they can fly. Same for the bob-white quail. We used to hear them every day. Now none are to be heard. I seldom see a toad any more. Used to be I saw several snakes a week about the barn or corrals. Some were poisonous, but most were beneficial eating mice. The only snake I've seen in months is one I saw in a dream the other night. All this leaves nothing for the next level up in the food chain to eat and the hawks are seldom around any more. Fire ants even can kill a new born calf. I've lost one to fire ants. If the calf is born near a fire ant mound they will invade the calf's body and consume it. All my neighbors have lost calves to fire ants. So, most of us try to have the cows bred in May or June so they will calve in February or March before the fire ants are real active. Fire ants also are attracted to electrical or electronic equipment. They destroy a lot of electrical control boxes and fence chargers. It is a constant battle to try to control them. I put out poison bait weekly. Out best hope seems to be research at Texas A&M where they are experimenting with some kind of tiny fly that zaps the fire ant in the head and lays and egg which hatches and the larva eats the inside of the ant's head and causes it to die.

Dawg Days of August

The Dawg Days of August are on us. It is so-o-o-o-o HOT and DRY. When the cows go from
one pasture to the other they kick up dust so that it looks like a Texas western movie.
Hauled the yearlings to the auction barn today. Not enough hay to feed them and the cows,
too. When we hung the gate to the hay lot yesterday we hung it to where it binds against the
corral boards and it can't be opened. Some gate if it can't be opened! At least the cows can't
open it either. That's what happens when you work in the hot sun hurrying to finish so you
can get in under the shade. We'll re-hang it tomorrow.

Texas Longhorns

Went to the barn this morning. Sometime yesterday afternoon or last night the cows (Texas Longhorns) managed to tear down the wood gate to the hay lot and the hay shed. They had a great time in the hay. Everything was a mess. They were way over in the east pasture, so I undertook to repair the gate. Had to replace three 2x6's and straighten the hinges. By then the cows were back to the barn. Threw out some hay to keep them away. Called my neighbor to come help me hang the gate. Can't blame the cows. They were hungry. The pastures are so dry there is very little there for them to eat. Need a good rain badly. Its mid-August and we don't usually get rain until mid-September or later.

John Wallace Davidson 1814 to 1869

One of the real joys in life for me has been family genealogy. Below is an article I wrote on one of my ancestors, John Wallace Davidson.

I am still researching his parents and grandpartents. If you can add anything to the story, I'd like to hear about it.

Enjoy!

JOHN WALLACE DAVIDSON

John Wallace Davidson was the son of John and Mary Wallace Davidson. John Wallace was born near what is now Huntsville, Madison County, AL,* March 14, 1814. John Wallace's father, John, died at Huntsville, AL, in 1815. The date of Mary's death is unknown. After the death of his parents John Wallace was sent to live with his Aunt Lucy Davidson Perkins and her husband, Ephraim Perkins, in Camden, Benton County, TN. Lucy was the sister of John Wallace's father, John.

John Wallace Davidson married Susan Lyons Prance in 1836 at Humphreys County, TN. Susan was born 1818 in Montgomery County, TN. She was the daughter of John and Mary Cooper Prance. John Prance was of French-Irish descent. He died in Montgomery County, TN. Mary Cooper was of Irish descent. She was born in Montgomery County, TN, and died in McCracken County, KY.

John Wallace Davidson was one of the Benton county magistrates in 1836. He was chairman of the Benton County Court for the year 1848. He was Circuit Court Clerk for Benton County in 1848 through 1852. While he served in these positions he studied and practiced law in Camden until 1865. He was a member of the Tennessee Legislature representing Benton and Hunphreys Counties in the House from 1859 through 1861.

For many years John Wallace Davidson was a faithful Mason, and a member of the Methodist Church from 1865 until his death in 1869.

While John Wallace and Susan Davidson lived in Camden they were blessed with nine children. They were: (1) Mary Ann, (2) George Washington, (3) Lucinda Margarite "Lucy", (4) Leathy Malissa "Lee", (5) William Mordecai "Bill", (6) Samuel Houston "Sam", (7) Martha W., (8) Harrison John "Jack", and (9) Thomas Jefferson "Jeff".

In 1865 John Wallace and Susan Davidson and some of their children moved from Camden to Graves County, KY. Not being satisfied there they moved to Jackson, Cape Girardeau County, MO. Their stay there was short. In 1866 they moved to Randolph County, AR, and in 1867 to Doniphan, Ripley County, MO. Then in 1869 hearing of a new county seat in Sharp County, AR, they moved one more final time to Evening Shade, AR. This was the final move for several of the family members and they made Evening Shade their home the rest of their lives.

John Wallace Davidson died October 12, 1869 at Evening Shade, AR. The cause of death was liver disease. John Wallace is buried in the Evening Shade Cemetery. His headstone, though broken, when pieced together the engraved words are: JOHN WALLACE DAVIDSON husband of Susan L. Davidson. Born March 14, 1814. Died October 12, 1869.

The 1870 Census for Sharp County, AR, shows Susan L. Davidson, a widow living with her sons William, Jack, and Jefferson. In the 1880 Census her sons are all married and she is living with her youngest son, Jefferson, and his family at Evening Shade.

Susan was a member of the Methodist Church in Evening Shade. She was a Methodist for more than forty years. According to the records in the History of the United Methodist Church of Evening Shade, Susan L Davidson died May 11, 1896. It is assumed she is buried in the Evening Shade Cemetery, though a thorough search of the headstones does not reveal one for Susan.

Some information indicates that John Wallace Davidson's brothers, Abraham, Berry and William, also moved from Huntsville, AL to Benton County, TN, to live after the death of their parents.

* Several searches in Huntsville, AL, and early day Madison County census records have failed to reveal any evidence that John Davidson, or his wife, Mary Wallace Davidson ever were in Huntsville, Madison County, AL. There is speculative reason to believe they actually may have lived at Huntsville, TN, instead. The search continues.

First Post

I'm a first time Blogger. I'm trying to learn what this "Blog" business is all about. I'm 78 years old and have a Model-T Ford mentality trying to deal with the space-age technology of a 21-year old. I know how to crank a Model-T Ford engine, but I don't really know how to "crank" this monster. My son is acting as my mentor to get me started in this new and unknown world for me.

Well, so here goes! I'm off into cyberspace.