tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27253733843620775812024-03-17T14:27:51.577-07:00David's AdventuresJust a few things I enjoy.DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.comBlogger197125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-32444149852790207882024-03-17T14:23:00.000-07:002024-03-17T14:23:16.191-07:00Wow! That was Fast!<p>It has now been six months since the Annual Wild Game Feed,
and it time to slow things down--really.
I mean to a snail's pace. I am
not kidding. Traditionally, the next
six months (from the third Friday in March to the third Friday in September
every year) takes about roughly FOREVER to pass by. This year the Feed will happen on Friday, September 20,
2024. And I am ready. And I am waiting, and waiting, and waiting,
and waiting, and . . .</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Anyone who knows me, or even has met me, instantly notices a
couple of things about me. 1) I look
like my alter ego, Santa Claus. And
because of the resemblance, I spent many years as an actor in private homes,
corporate parties, malls, tree lightings, and on stage and television, as well
as many other venues. It was fun while
it lasted. And 2) I have
Parkinson’s. This is Not fun. Oh, well. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Each year my condition gets worse, and now I am wondering
just how many Feeds are remaining for me. Not that I’m complaining, I’ve had a
great life. I am just wondering. I’ve been to the Feed more than 25 times
over the years, and each one has been enough fun to last a lifetime. How time flies. Still I am planning to be there again this year. It will take something far worse than
Parkinson's to keep me away. Besides, I
am overloaded with cigars, and this is about the only place I can get away with
enjoying a few. During my life I have
rarely encountered a gathering of men where everyone is like a brother. At the Feed every man is equal. No one is better than anyone else. Everyone attends for reasons known only to
him, but no one leaves a bit unchanged. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I hope to visit again with everyone this year. But it can’t happen if you don’t purchase
your tickets when the ticket order forms arrive in a couple of months. So, get ready, and start putting aside some
dollars (if you haven't done so already), because when the forms arrive, the tickets will sell out quickly. If you do get a ticket, prepare to have more
fun than you can stand. Once again, the
Feed is going to be bigger and better than ever and worth every penny you spend
to get there. And if you have a break,
or need a break, from all the fun, stop by the entry gate and visit. I will probably have a cigar for you, and I
have been known to get anyone who stops for a visit a beer.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Anyway, if you are caught unprepared to purchase a ticket
for the 56<sup>th</sup> Annual Wild Game Feed at Irvine Lake, you will be
required to prepare to wait until number 57.
And I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">See you at the Feed!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Meat and Beer!</p>DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-24141636212280158342023-12-29T21:48:00.000-08:002023-12-29T21:53:50.134-08:00The Colonel<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I served with the Colonel.
There. I said it. I don’t know if I’m proud of it or not, but
it was a part of my life I can’t deny happened. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the mid-1960’s I took a job at a local drive-in fast food
restaurant in Fort Worth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My position was
to run a subsidiary business within the store serving a pressure fried
chicken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t know anything about
this chicken from Kentucky except it wasn’t like any fried chicken I’d ever
tasted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it wasn’t bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the perks was I could eat all I
wanted, and to a growing teenager, this was as good as money.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">About six months into the job, my manager (a kid a year
younger than me) quit, and someone from an office somewhere showed up to
promote me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other than that, nothing
changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still did all the work, and
I still worked both shifts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About two
months into being a manager I was asked why I hadn’t hired someone to help
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some reason I replied, “Why
hire someone we don’t need?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The powers that be liked that answer and told me I was just
the person they were looking for to run the new free-standing store they were
building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was located near where I
was living, and it included a big raise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(I was making $1.05 per hour and would be raised up to $1.25, which was
minimum wage at the time.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was big
money to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The new store was a challenge for the company to open and it
took longer than expected to get the new equipment to work properly; however, I
was right there with the problems and helped to get them solved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I didn’t realize was the real
challenges would come when hiring new staff to be trained to operate the
restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a learning curve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since the store was located just a few
blocks away from my high school (yeah, I was still in school at this time) most
of the applicants were people I knew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And I knew I didn’t want THEM working for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took a while, but eventually we were staffed and trained.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Opening day saw a rush of hundreds of customers wanting to
try this strange new chicken, and everyone was up for the task of sending them
on their way with bags, boxes, and buckets filled with food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was hard work, but we were successful,
and it didn’t go unnoticed by the area supervisors.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For many months I kept a tight reign on the operation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every day I inspected each person’s
appearance to make certain the required “uniform” was worn, and all the men
were wearing their ribbon bow tie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
also made certain the building was cleaned every day in every corner and that
everything not in use was in its proper place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was a lot of extra work to do this, but I figured if I kept it clean
from day one, it would be easier to maintain than having to do it all at once
every month or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This actually paid
off.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The store had been open for about ten months and several of
my employees were getting very tired of the cleaning routine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t really blame them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hate cleaning as much as the next person,
but if they were cleaning, then I was cleaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t exempt myself, and this is what probably prevented a
mutiny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I received a phone call.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“The Colonel is on his way over!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A store manager across town called to let me know he had received
a surprise visit from The Colonel, and the results weren’t pretty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several employees were fired on the spot,
and the manager was taking a pay cut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
almost panicked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had less than thirty
minutes to prepare, so I went to each employee, explained the situation, and
hoped for the best.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I had never seen the Colonel before other than his likeness
on the buckets of chicken, but I would have known him anywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Few persons were ever as distinctive
appearing as the Colonel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>White hair,
white beard, white suit, black ribbon tie, and a gold handled cane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His image is forever burned into my brain.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He walked in with an entourage of what I now call “Yes”
men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Colonel stared a me for a
minute until I finally got up the courage to introduce myself and offered to
show him around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He grumped out some
words my direction and began his own inspection of the place.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first thing he did was put on a pair of white gloves and
reach above the door to wipe a finger across the sill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He looked surprised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He then set
one of his men to counting the cash register and comparing it to receipts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was to the penny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He grabbed a chicken drumstick and gave it a
tug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bone slipped out
properly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He lifted up several of the
floor mats in the kitchen and found a clean floor under them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He examined the food storage facilities and
came out of the rooms looking puzzled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He even watched as one of the staff prepared the chicken for the cooker
just to see if it was being done the official way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then he motioned me over to one of the booths and asked me to sit
down.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“How much warning did you have there, boy?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“About twenty minutes.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Tell me the truth, now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know it took longer than twenty minutes to get this place clean like
this.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes, sir.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started
cleaning it the day we opened almost a year ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All I did today was tell the workers you would be stopping by.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I was dismissed to help with the customers (it wasn’t busy
at that time, but there was still some traffic) while he interviewed each of
the employees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later he had me join him
again.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Well, I believe you told me the truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll see to it everyone here gets a 20-cent
raise for doing things the right way.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He then reached over and grabbed one of the ribbons of my bow tie and
pinned a likeness of himself onto it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“I don’t give many of these away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Don’t lose it.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That twenty-cent raise kept the employees happy about cleaning
the place for about two weeks, but still with Twinkies costing a nickel a
package, it was a lot of money.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I never saw the Colonel in person again, but I still
remember his words to me, “Don’t lose it.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I didn’t.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5WlOZgiQdu2n3npSxUUuVF1BisItYKa4JCPKa8rjPpGMWKp-o9yOyDrFUPRkCOFqCJ5QVomfdgrU4sLu1rONZ7wgcyoSI6LCw1o80HSobZBujR0IpD3RtcMmGqZ84gLe3lToYu4Ij5-Q9gjRvTCf3rVvx-1JVBEj-AacIGDYMkWzMSpd0yXBHLxNHms/s500/ClSandersPin_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5WlOZgiQdu2n3npSxUUuVF1BisItYKa4JCPKa8rjPpGMWKp-o9yOyDrFUPRkCOFqCJ5QVomfdgrU4sLu1rONZ7wgcyoSI6LCw1o80HSobZBujR0IpD3RtcMmGqZ84gLe3lToYu4Ij5-Q9gjRvTCf3rVvx-1JVBEj-AacIGDYMkWzMSpd0yXBHLxNHms/s320/ClSandersPin_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><br /></p>DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-75175864349623129742023-08-28T08:37:00.000-07:002023-08-28T08:37:43.359-07:00Ready or Not, Here It Comes<p>Less than three weeks to wait. I hope you are ready for the 55<sup>th</sup> Annual Wild Game
Feed at Irvine Lake. As always the Feed
is on the third Friday in September, and this year it falls on September 15,
2023. Oh boy! Even though I started preparing last September, somehow I know
I’m not completely ready.. Okay, I am
ready enough for it to happen right now, the problem seems to be my OCD. I have reached the point where, no matter
how many times I have checked my checklist, I just know I am forgetting
something. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> Regardless, Are You ready?
The Feed will be here very soon, and it’s gonna be great! </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> See you at the Feed!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> Meat and Beer!</p>DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-16225496986328924402023-08-14T08:45:00.000-07:002023-08-14T08:45:13.382-07:00Like Watching Paint Dry<p>I guess I don't understand time. On one hand time moves so fast I can't get anything done before I
need to move on to the next project. On
the other hand when I am waiting for something to be delivered, time almost
moves in reverse. Right now I am
waiting for the Annual Wild Game Feed to arrive on September 15, 2023. And, even though it is less than 5 weeks
away, I am beginning to believe it will never get here. Lately I’ve been doing upgrades around my
home, and I find that watching paint dry helps move time along a little faster.</p><p>The reality is time keeps on ticking, and if I don’t get my
act together early in the year, I will not have enough time to get ready for
the Feed when it actually arrives. The
most important thing I do each year is update and actually use my checklist of
what to bring to the Feed. Even then I
find I usually forget something. So do
not be lulled into complacency by the seemingly slow passage of time. The Feed is almost upon us. Get ready.
The time is nigh.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">See You at the Feed!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> Meat and Beer!</p>DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-20811294293691492502023-07-16T16:11:00.002-07:002023-10-14T08:18:20.647-07:00 Catching Up<p>From time to time I get a little behind on my writings and
postings, and, needless to say, right now I am Waaaayyyyyyy behind. However, this time I do not apologize. This past year has been a beast. Those of you who know me personally know I
have been battling a number of illnesses for many years, and for anyone who
didn’t know this, well, now you do.
Today I feel as well as I have felt in the last fifteen years, which is
rare anymore. This is not offered as an
apology for not posting, nor am I looking for any sympathy. Simply put, I somehow got old, ill, and
forgetful. This post is to catch up on
a few things some of my readers have asked me about. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Biggie – Year Twelve and a Half</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Biggie is now seventeen years old and his strength and
stamina is still strong. In my previous
post about him, I wrote about how he had slowed down some and needed help with
a couple of things, but he remains a very active doggie.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanley -- Year Three Quarters</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanley is also a part time dog. Does two part time dogs make one full time dog? No, it adds up to a full time job, but I
love it. Stanley is part Great
Pyrenees, part Bernese Mountain Dog, part labradoodle, and a sprinkling of
fence jumper. Although he is still a
puppy, at ten months old, he has become a sixty pound lap dog. More about Stanley in a few months.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Annual Wild Game Feed 2023</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Annual Wild Game Feed at Irvine Lake is just a little
less than nine weeks away. September
15, 2023 is coming up quickly, and I am hoping to see everyone again this year,
along with some new faces. I hope to
continue attending this event many years into the future; however, as I
mentioned in the opening paragraph, I am not well, so every year I am able to
attend may well be my last one. I
realize that sounds as though I am about to be planted in the ground. Sorry. I
have had Parkinson’s for about 18 years now, and I am finding my energy levels
are not what they used to be. I tire
easily, and I may not have the ability to attend, but that will not stop me
from promoting the best and biggest Wild Game Feed anywhere. Unless something improves in my health
condition, I must prepare for the year that will be my last Feed. So for now…</p>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">(I hope to) See You At The Feed!!</span>DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-71747885084228690572023-03-21T17:53:00.002-07:002023-03-21T17:53:55.153-07:00Six Months To 55<p>That’s Right!! The
55<sup>th</sup> Annual Wild Game Feed is just a little less than six months
away. This year it will be held on
Friday, September 15, 2023. at Oak Canyon Park at Irvine Lake. Once again I expect it to be bigger and
better than ever. So start saving your
dollars, because the ticket order forms are going to here before you know it
(expected about the end of May or the first of June this year). As usual, don’t hesitate to order you
tickets as soon as you get your hands on the order form. It will sell out quickly.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are parties, shindigs, hullabaloos, hootenannies,
bashes, jamborees, get-togethers, gatherings, revelries, celebrations, and
festivities, but there are no words to describe this event we simply know as
the Annual Wild Game Feed, or just the Feed.
I’ve been trying for years to describe it in writing, but to understand
what it is I am trying to describe requires first hand knowledge. And to get that first hand knowledge, one
must attend; so start preparing for the best man gathering around.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">See you at the Feed!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Meat and Beer!</p>DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-83237680778434526202022-09-17T09:45:00.002-07:002022-09-17T09:45:42.196-07:002022 Wild Game Feed<p>Once again we must begin preparations for next year’s Annual
Wild Game Feed, because this year’s Feed is (sadly) over. Already I am looking toward next year on the
third Friday in September—September 15, 2023.
It is not too early to mark it on your calendar.</p><p>This year the Feed was exceptional as always. The members did an outstanding job of
putting together the best event in Orange County (or in the entire world as far
as I am concerned) for the best group of guys anywhere. Whether you were a member or an attendee,
THANK YOU!!! Your participation in this
event provides much needed support to many organizations supporting our youth
and veterans. Again, Thank You!</p><p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">See You at the Feed!</span></p>DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-36766008302786354522022-07-08T14:53:00.003-07:002022-07-08T14:54:30.150-07:00Irvine Lake 2022 Wild Game Feed<p>Time is getting away from us. In just 10 weeks the 54<sup>th</sup> Annual Wild Game Feed at
Irvine Lake will be getting started. If
you need to check your calendar, that works out to Friday, September 16,
2022. I know this year it will be bigger and
better than ever. I simply cannot
contain my excitement.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Well with time running so short, maybe you had better start
getting things together for a day of fun.
Or if you are like me, you started getting ready the day after last
year’s Feed. Either way, it will be
arriving quickly.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">See You at the Feed!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Meat and Beer!</p>DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-86026897771470963402022-05-31T20:32:00.004-07:002022-06-10T07:46:29.370-07:0054th Annual Wild Game Feed<p>O the Joy! Today I
received my ticket order form for the 54<sup>th</sup> Annual Wild Game Feed to
be held at Irvine Lake, Friday, September 16, 2022. I cannot wait! I know, I
know, I can’t jump ahead in time to the Feed, but if I could… Oh well.
I’ve already put together everything I plan to bring with me, except for
the ice, and I will most likely re-check it a dozen times or more before the
event occurs. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Once again I must warn everyone to waste no time ordering
your tickets for the Feed. It will sell
out fast. To hesitate is
dangerous. To procrastinate is to lose
out on the biggest and best game feed I’ve ever been to. Meat, beer, prizes, games, meat, beer. How could it get any better? If you have been there in the past, you know. If you have never been there, you need to
know.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This remains a stag event (men only) 21 years of age and
older. Please check out my list of
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) for additional info and thoughts. Even though I put this list together a few
years ago, it is still relevant today.
Even I reread it from time to time to remind myself of things.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So, guys, get those order forms in the mail, and prepare
yourselves for the best party in Orange County.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">See you at the Feed!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Meat and Beer!</p>DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-84065346241485124822022-04-21T09:39:00.000-07:002022-04-21T09:39:01.824-07:00Texas Barbeque Trail<p> I’ve said it
before, and I’ve said it many times, “Barbeque is where you find it,” but in
Texas all trails lead to barbeque. In
central Texas, just crossing the street can lead to barbeque. While I haven’t been able to get back to Texas
for a few years, I’m certain the number of barbeque joints in the state is
greater than ever. Needless to say, I
have many fond memories of Texas barbeque.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> </span>In the
mid-‘forties, my grandfather and his friend Sam put their heads together to
start a barbeque restaurant. My
grandfather built the pits and a barn-like building for the restaurant and left
the rest to Sam and his family.
Sammie’s Bar-b-q is still there near the corner of N. Beach and E.
Belknap in Fort Worth, although the original pits were rebuilt long ago, and I
doubt if it is still family owned. This
was one of two main places providing the store-bought barbeque I grew up
eating. It was good, but my memories of
barbeque really began when I was a kid on a family vacation, and we made stops
in Elgin and Lockhart. ‘OMG!’ was not a
phrase used back then, but I can apply it in retrospect.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> </span>In the late
‘sixties, Hank and I traveled to Austin to visit a friend enrolled in the
University of Texas. Bobber decided to
take us to a couple of barbeque restaurants he liked to frequent, and we
couldn’t say ‘No.’ </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> </span>We spent nearly
three days just traveling from joint to joint sampling barbeque (Bobber told us
it was just two places, but one thing leads to another). While some were better than others, only one
place we decided shouldn’t keep its doors open. It was a Santa Maria California-style place specializing in
tri-tip. Now that I live in California
I realize that place in Texas was far better than many of the ones in
California. Anyway, we quickly reached
capacity, but that didn’t stop us from buying the barbeque and taking it with
us.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> </span>Hank and I drove
back to Fort Worth with more than thirty pounds of barbeque. Well, maybe I should say we left Austin with
more than thirty pounds of barbeque. By
the time we reached Fort Worth, our smoky stash was considerably smaller. And we were considerably bigger.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> </span>Just before I
moved to California in 1975, I decided to spend a couple of weeks or so driving
around Texas. I had been to almost
every corner of the state many times, but business was involved for most of
those journeys, and I just wanted to take time to enjoy this world I was
leaving one last time. The one criteria
I had for the journey was to have barbeque and Tex-Mex every day—several times
every day.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> </span>I packed my car,
and the next morning I left the old farmhouse about 8am. My first stop was a small restaurant about
10 miles away where I had a very small breakfast of eggs, chicken fried steak,
sausages, ham, bacon, biscuits and gravy, and French fries. I needed to save room for my next
stop—Angelo’s.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> </span>I met my
great-uncle George for an early lunch at Angelo’s and we worked our way through
way too much brisket and beer. From
there I drove south to Hillsboro where I met a couple of old friends for “2nd
Lunch.” The small café near the old
county courthouse was owned by a family from Harlingen, and they understood
what Tex-Mex was all about. Oh, my. I was full.
Too full. But I left there to
visit some friends in Waco where we were going to have an early dinner.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> </span>Waco is not known
for the world’s greatest Tex-Mex or barbeque, but at it’s worst, it’s still
very good. However, early dinner was at
my friend’s home where they were preparing brisket and sausage with several
sides. I couldn’t say ‘no,’ and I ended
up taking a small container of food with me when I left later that evening to
get to my reserved lodging in Killeen.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> </span>Killeen is home to
Fort Hood where my friend Zeke was stationed.
He had a week’s pass, and he was going to accompany me on some of my
journeys through the state. I picked
Zeke up about 7am the next morning and we immediately drove east a few miles to
Belton for a Tex-Mex breakfast. This
was the last Tex-Mex I would see for a week.
We were entering the heart of Barbeque Country—Central Texas.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> </span>For a solid week
we ate barbeque. Every meal. Snacks in between meals. Desserts.
Because it was there. There is
no remembering just how many places we visited. Usually we ate at the restaurant, but we often got it ‘to go’ so
we could eat outside in a park or at a roadside picnic table (remember
those?). </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> </span>After returning
Zeke to Fort Hood, I continued my travels through other parts of the state (El
Paso, Alpine, Marfa, Marathon, Eagle Pass, McAllen, Corpus Christi, etc.), and
I thoroughly enjoyed the trip, but the barbeque was the highlight.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> </span>Today, well over
forty years later, many of those barbeque joints are still there. Yes, some are gone, and new ones have taken
their places. I started hearing some
twenty years ago about the ‘Texas Barbeque Trail,’ and as I did a little
research as to what it was about, I realized that there is no actual
‘trail.’ It is simply a word used in
relation to all the barbeque places in central Texas. Some places are famous, and some are not. All are worth stopping at, just like Zeke
and I once did.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> </span>One could make a
case for a ‘barbeque trail’ by mapping out a series of stops at the more well
known places in a roughly fifty mile circle around Austin, but one would be
missing out on some great places only the locals know about. Sometimes the place is located behind, or
in, a grocery store, or bar, or gas station.
Sometimes it’s in front of a church or junkyard. You never know—as I’ve said many times
before, ‘Barbeque is where you find it.’</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">To me the best barbeque trail begins where you
live (even in California).</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It’s local,
and that’s a good start.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">To expand the
trail, just take the time on your travels to stop and eat barbeque at a new
place.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And if your travels ever take
you to central Texas, your trail will be complete.</span></p>DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-90388163211687586172022-02-18T13:59:00.004-08:002022-03-11T10:11:54.833-08:00Biggie—Year Eleven—The Nose Bump<p></p><div class="separator" dir="rtl" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgH4BwY_-YyOJWsuzULirczpQGLglV_xEWva4bbxYzG8vE75zkZ7AmFz-UV0jx8OFXxn2GsH2cMJfr2c94WXTxd8cZtrIUgSp44PFqt6zq-rYaPVJa4ev_cOvYyttUSoVWYWlC6UI3AGvC8PCwE8xA_Ttucw-zo-O7f7FLn-xmo8Z7onYdsa-sctB4e" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgH4BwY_-YyOJWsuzULirczpQGLglV_xEWva4bbxYzG8vE75zkZ7AmFz-UV0jx8OFXxn2GsH2cMJfr2c94WXTxd8cZtrIUgSp44PFqt6zq-rYaPVJa4ev_cOvYyttUSoVWYWlC6UI3AGvC8PCwE8xA_Ttucw-zo-O7f7FLn-xmo8Z7onYdsa-sctB4e" width="192" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicfp2OqyD7Fvk6QZKVJxtUlCti0sriILAOIwSg2HAwqeQaDRPjxVQnOyS5E6LE5dHwmUhtBLfOPmjkDNBRTuXTXvsV4AzyJlNFAi7Jh0ot17RZlZcYM9lT3bhhFn6a5dBaQoOdezsbx8vSk0zTWxd1GgpHJODXHFl2yQdTWg-men0T-CUpAlNT2ML8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicfp2OqyD7Fvk6QZKVJxtUlCti0sriILAOIwSg2HAwqeQaDRPjxVQnOyS5E6LE5dHwmUhtBLfOPmjkDNBRTuXTXvsV4AzyJlNFAi7Jh0ot17RZlZcYM9lT3bhhFn6a5dBaQoOdezsbx8vSk0zTWxd1GgpHJODXHFl2yQdTWg-men0T-CUpAlNT2ML8" width="192" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Right now Biggie is asleep at my feet. There is something wonderful far beyond words having a little doggie whose trust is so great as to sleep at (or on) your feet. The only problem is this: if I so much as wiggle a toe, it will disturb him. That is something I simply don't want to do.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Biggie’s favorite form of getting my attention is a nose
bump. He will just touch the end of his
nose to my leg, step back, and look up at me.
He always starts with this, but if I don’t respond in a timely manner,
he will resort to other methods. I may
receive two or even three nose bumps before foot scraping begins. Foot scraping will turn into agitated twirling
or bouncing, and as a last resort, woofing and barking. Usually it doesn’t get that far before I
figure out what he wants, although sometimes, no matter how hard I try, I just
can’t figure out what he wants.
However, overall he is a good communicator. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Even though he has been in my life for eleven years, Biggie
is almost sixteen years old, yet he still acts like a puppy much of the
time. Yes he is slowing down some, and
he can no longer jump onto the sofa without some assistance, but he still likes
to go for long walks, runs in the park, and trips to the beach (unless it is
too hot). He also loves to ride in the
car. It starts with a nose bump, two
steps back, tail wagging, and a hopeful stare.
If I don’t respond in about two seconds, the foot scraping begins and
quickly escalates into agitated twirling, bouncing, woofing, and barking.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Biggie is still my part-time dog. His mom is moving a few blocks from their current home into a
better place, so he is visiting for a few days. Each time he come over, it seem his routine has changed a
bit. Different wake-up time, different
feeding schedule, different walking schedule.
But one thing has always remained the same. The nose bump.</p>DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-3464678161382351102022-01-02T09:12:00.001-08:002022-01-02T09:17:00.967-08:00 Countdown to 54<p>Well, it’s been just over three months since the last Feed,
and preparations are well underway for the 54<sup>th</sup> Annual Wild Game
Feed. Friday, September 16, 2022. Mark it on your calendar. Number 53 was a bit of a learning curve as
the Feed changed locations in order to allow us to spread out some. Admittedly the Feed outgrew the old location
several years ago, and the new place was a welcomed change. However, there are still some adjustments to
be made. I won’t detail the adjustments
since they are complicated to make, but there will be adjustments. And the Feed will be bigger and better than
ever.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I don’t know if 2022 will be 2020 Part III, or if it will be
a new start for us, but we must all do what we can to ensure the 54th Annual Wild
Game Feed actually happens. Number 52
drew a blank because of the Pandemic, Number 53 was touch and go until the last
minute. I don’t want Number 54 to be
scratched at the last minute due to another upswing of this virus.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We still have about 9 months and 3 weeks to go. That’s over 5 1/2 dog years away! A lot can happen between now and September
16, but I am once again being an optimist and have started making my list of things
to bring. Let’s see, 1) me, 2) cigars,
3) ticket, 4) uh, more stuff, etc. Over
the years I’ve learned to scale down my list in order to spend more time
eating, drinking, and talking with everyone I meet. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So, let’s get this big shindig completely back on track for
the biggest and best Feed ever. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">See you at the Feed!</p>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Meat and Beer!</span>DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-2568772038465152002021-10-18T12:23:00.000-07:002021-10-18T12:23:03.863-07:00Home Repairs—Garbage Disposal Edition<p>I had to replace my garbage disposal, and I wasn’t happy
about it. But who would be happy about
replacing a garbage disposal other than a plumber? At a visitation fee of $250 plus $450 per hour, I'd be happy;
however, I am not a plumber, and I wouldn’t know how to invoice myself anyway.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The trouble first started when it suddenly stopped
running. I had been hand washing some
dishes, and I thought I would run the disposal a few moments to clean out the
stuff that had collected in it after draining the sink. I turned on the water, and then I turned on
the disposal. The disposal started and
suddenly stopped. I turned the disposal
off for a minute or so, and then turned it back on. It ran perfectly.
Okay. Problem solved. Or so I thought. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The next morning I went into the kitchen to make breakfast,
and there was water everywhere. A small
search located the crack in the side of the disposal causing drainage every
time the sink was utilized. Oh, the
joy!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Every hardware store in the area was out of the replacement
for this disposal, and I didn’t want to re-plumb under the sink any more than I
had to. Fortunately I could order the
replacement on line, and for just $72.50 additional, I could have it the next
day. Well, it was still cheaper than
the quote from the plumber.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The instructions were simple. The first line said, ‘Do not try this at home!’ The second line said, ‘Do not use in or near
water!' I never read the third line.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I gathered my tools and crawled under the sink to remove the
old disposal. A couple of screws, a
bolt or two, and a smashed finger later, the old unit was out and headed for
the trash bin. Now to replace it with
the identical new one. Did I say
‘identical?’ Every thing was the same. Every fitting, every wire, every bracket,
every thing. Why didn’t it fit?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Gravity was the reason the old disposal was easy to
remove. Now I had to work against
gravity to install the new one. I’m not
really certain just how much the disposal weights, but my estimate is about 75
pounds. Plus or minus. Mostly plus. I was on my left side holding the new disposal in place with my
left arm, and attempting to replace screws and bolts with my right hand. Four and one-half hours later it was in
place. One problem--I forgot to install
the electrical cord. Thirty minutes
later the disposal was uninstalled.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After a day off to recover, I wired in the electrical cord
to the unit, and just 5 hours later it was working. No sparks, no leaks. It
really worked. Now I understand the
first instruction, ‘Do not try this at home!’</p>DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-44563941041863081392021-09-18T08:25:00.000-07:002021-09-18T08:25:36.536-07:002021 Wild Game Feed<p>After two long, long years of waiting, the brief flash of
excitement we call the Annual Wild Game Feed is over for 2021. Now we wait some more. It’s sort of like waiting for a comet to
appear once every two- or three-hundred years.
But at least it does come back.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This has been a difficult time for everyone; however, the
extra year of preparation for the Feed really paid off. The members were able to procure a larger
park for the gathering, and that alone was a big achievement. Simply speaking, the Feed outgrew the Lake
View Park a few years ago. And as
usual, the members were able to find ways to improve perfection. Wow!
I often think to myself, “It can’t get any better.” Then it does.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thank you. Everyone,
whether guest or member who participated in the 2021 Feed, has contributed to
the aid of many worthy charities. With
all the fun and excitement surrounding us at the Feed, it is easy to forget
that many organizations depend upon donations from groups, such as the Annual
Wild Game Feed, for their survival.
Thank you for helping out.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Well, now we wait some more, and we know the next Feed will
be even better. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">See you at the Feed!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Meat and Beer!</p>DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-63694252646924067452021-08-13T07:39:00.001-07:002021-08-28T16:53:03.338-07:00Wild Game Feed Irvine Lake 2021<p>Just five weeks to go.
The 53rd Annual Wild Game Feed at Irvine Lake is rapidly
approaching. Well, “rapidly” isn’t
quite the correct word to use here; however, five weeks is barely enough time to
gather everything together and pack my car seven or eight times. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you are anything like me, you find it difficult to wait
for the Feed to arrive. I start pouring
over my checklist to make certain I have everything I need to bring. Cigars, chair, beer mug, sunscreen,
etc. And then I start packing and
unpacking my car to double-check how I am going to get it all there (and back
again). My wife just doesn’t get it,
even though she has seen me perform this ritual for well over twenty years. But if you have ever been there, I know you
understand.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Feed is unlike any party I’ve ever attended. All the beer one desires, all the food you
can consume, more friends that you know what to do with, games, prizes, and all
the beer one desires. The only down
side is that it will be over before you are ready for it to be over. Personally speaking, I have never been ready
for it to be over. I even wear the
attendance band on my wrist a few extra days—just in case.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It has been an eternity since the last Feed. Two years of waiting, waiting. The cancellation of the 52<sup>nd</sup> Feed
was almost more than I could bear. But
it appears the 53<sup>rd</sup> Feed is going to happen, and I plan on enjoying
every possible second of it. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">See You at the Feed!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Meat and Beer!</p>DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-68582194089883455362021-07-09T20:43:00.000-07:002021-07-09T20:43:49.028-07:00Irvine Lake 2021 Wild Game Feed<p>Okay Guys! Just 10
weeks until the 53<sup>rd</sup> Annual Wild Game Feed at Irvine Lake. September 17, 2021. The 3<sup>rd</sup> Friday in September. I hope you bought your ticket.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As of today it has been 94 weeks since the 51<sup>st</sup>
Feed. The 52<sup>nd</sup> Feed got
eaten by the 2020 pandemic restrictions, and honestly, it could happen again,
although I’m staying on the positive side of this. I am more than ready. It
has been too long since the last gathering of men who enjoy eating (stuffing
ourselves stupid), drinking (staying sober with all you can drink beer), and
visiting old friends (some older than others).
I really miss this.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For well over 20 years I’ve been participating in this
annual gathering, and I’ve watched it grow from roughly 500 guys to about 1,200
guys. For a number of reasons the cap
has been set at 1,200 for several years, and I don’t have a clue as to if or
when this may change. But
realistically, I already find it a bit difficult to visit with everyone. It may be I will need to go on a 2-year
rotation in order to visit everyone.
We’ll see.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->This annual (normally) gathering of men is quite
unique. It doesn't matter who or what
you are, at the Feed everyone is equal and a friend. No one is better than anyone else, with the one possible
exception of the guy pouring the beer.
That guy is king. The beer keeps
on flowing. And the food doesn't end
either. The appetizers are more than
even I can consume. Then there is
dinner. Wow. I don't recall ever hearing of anyone who went home hungry. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Once again there will be some unbelievable prize drawings
(including a 1953 5-window Chevy Pickup Truck "restored as original,"
flat screen TV’s, a champion Labrador puppy, custom firearms, etc.), so bring
along a few extra dollars to buy in.
Cigars will be available for purchase, as well as some souvenir
items. Other entertainments and events
will be available, as well as an all new Sportsman’s Challenge.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This year the Feed will be held in a different location (Oak
Canyon Park), although it is still at Irvine Lake. It’s very easy to find since it is just down the road from the
old location (Lake View Park). If you
have been before, just go to the old location and follow the signs to the new
one. If this is your first time, just
south east of the fishing entrance to Irvine Lake on E. Santiago Canyon Rd. is
a turn lane into Haul Road. Signs will
be posted. Just follow the signs. Real easy.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Meanwhile, I need to start packing the car and getting
ready. After all, it’s only 10 weeks
away.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">See you at the Feed!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Meat and Beer!</p>DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-18812221360615701702021-05-25T17:20:00.004-07:002021-05-26T17:39:42.088-07:0053rd Annual Wild Game Feed<p>Well, it’s on. It
has been a long wait since the 51<sup>st</sup> Annual Wild Game Feed in
September, 2019. A looong wait. But the wait is drawing to a close. Finally.
It will be held on Friday, September 17, 2021 at Irvine Lake. There is one change this year in the
location. Instead of being at Lake View
Park where it has been located for many years, the Feed will be held at Oak
Canyon Park. It’s just a little bit farther
along the same road the old location is on.
Follow the signs and you will not have any problems.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> Ticket order forms have been sent out and are arriving right
now. Send it back as quickly as you
can. The tickets will sell out Fast!!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> See you at the Feed!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> Meat and Beer!</p>DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-25925970647830083772021-04-10T08:54:00.000-07:002021-04-10T08:54:01.297-07:00 Size Doesn’t Matter<p>This morning I saw a duck flying at about 30 feet above my
front yard as it made its way to the southeast. As it flew over the top of a neighbor’s house I thought it must
be going to the regional park just a few miles away in the direction it was
going. There is a small lake there and
duck regularly stop there on their travels, and many make it a permanent
home. Seeing this duck brought to mind
one of my earliest duck hunts.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A friend of mine was a duck hunter. He lived to hunt (and eat) duck. His home was almost a shrine to the
duck. And his garage was filled front
to back and top to bottom with stuff to make his duck hunting “easier.” Plus he had a dedicated trailer just to haul
it around, and when he arrived where he wanted to hunt, he had many choices he
could make based on—well, actually, I don’t know what.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Donald (yes, his name really was Donald) had a number of
duck blinds in every camo pattern and color he could buy or make. There were two canoes, a jon boat, and
something he called a punt. He had
decoys in abundance in at least half a dozen duck types. Some decoys were made for floating in water,
and some were for setting out in a field.
Some were small, some were large, and some were gigantic.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One evening I joined him on one of his hunts. I arrived at his home about 9pm, transferred
my meager hunting things to his truck, loaded up the two retrievers, and we set
out for a lake about 120 miles away. I
was full of questions and he was empty of answers. “What kind of duck are we hunting?” “I don’t know." “How
do you know there will be any ducks there?" "It's duck season."
“Are we hunting from a boat or on land?" "Maybe." </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We eventually arrived at the lake and found the gate to the
property one of his friends owned. By
the time we found the spot where Donald thought was the right place to park, it
was almost 3am. My first thought was,
"Finally we can get some sleep.”
His first thought was, "We’re running late. Let’s get set up.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Donald (not Don) started opening up doors on his trailer and
pulling bags out onto the ground. I stood there peering into the darkness
wondering where the lake was hiding. He
had me drag several bags over to a place about eighty yards from the truck and
empty them onto the ground. They were
filled with decoys. Mostly mallards,
but many different sizes and shapes.
Then he dragged over two very big bags.
He said they were our blinds.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While I scattered the decoys over the field, Donald set up
the blinds. I had never seen anything
like them. They were basically two
large metal cloth covered frames with cutouts for openings. The coverings were painted to look like two
humongous ducks, Each one standing about 7 feet tall.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By now it was getting light enough to see my
surroundings. The lake was about 40
yards away to the southeast, the field appeared to be full of ducks (the
decoys), and in the middle of the ducks were two massive ducks that appeared to
belong on a carousel ride. I questioned
Donald about whether or not the real ducks would be fooled, but he just looked
at me as though I was dumber than the ducks.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Well we climbed inside the two giant ducks along with our
shotguns, stools for sitting, dogs for fetching, blankets for staying warm, and
thermoses of coffee for staying awake.
As it was getting lighter, the birds were beginning to fly by. Soon many had landed around us to feed among
the decoys. The two sumo-ducks did not
warrant so much as a sideways glance. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As the sun made its appearance Donald and I were able to pop
out of the top of our blinds to bring down the incoming birds. The noise from the shotguns caused some
feeding disturbances, but the ducks on the ground stayed around feeding. When the dogs exited to fetch the downed
birds, the live ones just moved aside and kept on eating. This repeated until we had our limits. However, the moment we exited the
duck-shaped blinds, the feeding birds left in a mass scramble to get into the
air and as far away from us as they could get.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By 10am we had the trailer and truck loaded for the return
trip. As Donald picked the two bags of
ducks he noticed my bag was heavier than his.
At first he thought I had harvested an extra bird, but upon emptying the
bags and recounting for himself, he realized the difference was simply I had
brought down a couple of very large birds. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On the drive home Donald complained more than once about how
much larger my ducks were. Finally, in
order to change the subject a bit, I asked why the two giant duck-shaped blinds
worked so well.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The reply was simple.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“When it comes to ducks, size doesn't matter."</span></p>DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-11306445868892488182021-03-20T18:22:00.000-07:002021-03-20T18:22:52.247-07:00Three-Fourths or One-Half?<p>Yesterday marked the mid-point in my calendar year. The third Friday in September is the end of
my year, therefore, the third Friday of March is the halfway point. Each year the Annual Wild Game Feed at
Irvine Lake occurs the third Friday in September; however, 2020 was an
exception. The Covid-19 pandemic
destroyed many gatherings including the Annual Wild Game Feed. Simple math puts us at the three-quarter
mark of a two-year calendar. I hope
everyone is getting their vaccinations and wearing masks so the Feed can happen
in 2021. If not, then we are just now
at the halfway point of a three-year calendar.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’ve been hoping to hear something from the administration
of the Feed’s membership.
Something. Anything. But with little to base a prediction on, I
guess they are waiting until the last minute to make a decision whether or not
to move forward with the plans for the 2021 Feed. Still ‘better safe than sorry.’</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Everyone stay safe, get vaccinated, wear a mask, avoid other
people, etc., so we can get rid of this pandemic virus and have our Feed this
year.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">See you at the Feed!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Meat and Beer!</p>DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-84822097784081273042021-02-22T12:01:00.004-08:002021-08-18T12:48:02.184-07:00Biggie—Year Ten—FaceTime Dog<p>What a year, huh?
Biggie had just returned home to his mom after nearly a year of living
with my wife and me when the quarantines arrived due to the pandemic. His mom finally found a real job, so he
went home to be with her. Literally the
next morning the announcements of quarantine hit us like a lightening
bolt. Since that time we have seen him
only four or five times. Once when I
had to deliver something to his mom, and several times when his mom had to go
out of town for a few days for her job. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This social separation from my part-time dog is difficult
for me, so the best thing I can do is call his mom for some FaceTime with
Biggie. (Biggie doesn't have his own
phone yet.) Somehow it’s just not the
same as being with him, and honestly, I don’t think he really understands
it. When I talk to him, he seems more
interested is sleeping, or some toy, or just sniffing of something. Once I thought he barked for me, but then I
realized the mail was being delivered to his home. Oh, well.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2QGrIVxWLJwJyQJ5Yyin2WziSeQct-f7QocKSIZ7qim6OguAtTYbzLRk87JPyNXhZ-ZX2d0OGrYDpxX-tWSFic9tlx0l6pFZnShy4VGr_yTt0C3FHZmta67qNSDa7nGdogbk11YfEazE/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2QGrIVxWLJwJyQJ5Yyin2WziSeQct-f7QocKSIZ7qim6OguAtTYbzLRk87JPyNXhZ-ZX2d0OGrYDpxX-tWSFic9tlx0l6pFZnShy4VGr_yTt0C3FHZmta67qNSDa7nGdogbk11YfEazE/" width="240" /></a></div>Biggie is now fourteen years old, and in a few months he
will add another year. He has slowed
down a little, and he is missing a few teeth, but he is in good health
overall. Last year, just before the
virus reared its ugly head, Biggie developed a growth in his left ear. At first I thought the growth was just a
skin tag, but in just a few weeks it was larger than a marble. The first vet he visited to said he would
need to remove the entire ear in order to biopsy the growth. NO!
The second vet took one look and said no problem. This is an easy removal and Biggie should be
perfectly fine in a few days. Out
patient surgery. No hospital time. And a couple of thousand dollars less than that first vet. I really don’t think Biggie
even realized the surgery took place.
He was a happy dog before the surgery, and he was a happy dog
afterwards. Then he went home to his
mom. Very happy dog.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As I was writing the above paragraphs I got a call from
Biggie’s mom. She is going out of town
for a week. Could I pick him up
tonight? Before we ended the phone
call, I was in the car and on my way. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Biggie is now home with me.
Yea! I’m a happy dog, uh, guy
right now. Just as I walked in the door
to my home, Biggie’s mom called to FaceTime with MY dog, and Biggie responded
to her voice for a moment. Only a
moment. He then ran into the kitchen
and woofed at the cabinet where I store his treats. Yes, he has his priorities.
Snacks are more important than anything else, and I agree.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now FaceTime with Biggie has a new meaning, or at least for
a few days. This is the real
thing. His face and my face with no
phone in between. I’m a happy, uh, guy.</p>DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-5552390758419922572021-01-01T09:35:00.000-08:002021-01-01T09:35:16.742-08:00Optimisim<p>Last night I stayed up past midnight. I don’t believe I’ve done that in fifteen
years or more, but it was necessary. I
needed to know 2020 was Gone.
Done. Over With. History.
And for the first time in a long time, I didn’t mind the fireworks. I figured the persons setting off the noise
bombs were also celebrating the death of 2020.
I completely agree.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now it’s time to look forward through foggy glasses due to
the masks and envision a world where we can once again enjoy the Annual Wild Game
Feed at Irvine Lake. Last year a lot of
charities missed out on donations from this organizations at a time when they
needed it most. They need the Feed as
much as we do. The Feed is still over
nine months away, so there is time for vaccinations and ‘herd immunity’ to free
us from the clutches of Covid-19 and the pandemic we are currently
experiencing. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To all the guys out there planning on joining me this year
at the Feed wear those masks. Stay
isolated. Get your vaccine shot. Do your part to end this misery so we can
return to our annual feast. I know we
can do this. We can climb out of this
hole and return to, at least to a degree, some freedom to gather for our annual
meat eating, beer drinking party. We
already had to miss one year. Let's not
make it two in a row.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">September 17, 2021</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">See you at the Feed!</p><p class="MsoNormal">Meat and Beer!</p>DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-91337742163052796732020-12-25T08:42:00.004-08:002020-12-25T08:42:54.265-08:00Santa’s Midnight Ride<p>Today is Christmas Day, and the sleigh has been parked, the
reindeer put away, and the red suit is getting ready to go to the
cleaners. It has been great fun, and
although I need a long rest, I’m ready to do it again.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Each year this becomes more entertaining. The kids always come up with something new
to wish for, and Santa is becoming a bit more deaf. Long ago I began to repeat to the child on my lap what they had
requested from Santa, but between the mumbled words and my inability to
understand well-enunciated words, repeating the requests became very
interesting.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I still don’t know what she asked for, but I’m quite certain
she said she wanted Alaska. When I
repeated Alaska, it drew quite a few giggles and laughs. One young boy wanted a parrot named Polly,
but I thought he said a pair of tamales.
Hatchimals are popular, I thought at first the kids were asking for
Hannibals or Cannibals. I've had requests
for a stuffed hair (bear), a log (dog), skunk (trunk), brain (train), and
mblfeez (mblfeez). </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sometimes I hear correctly the request, and I wish I had
misunderstood. One boy mentioned he
wanted to get his sister a wiener for Christmas. His nineteen-year-old sister was obviously becoming his brother,
and I wished I could unhear his request.
Another request was for a new shovel.
It seems he had been told he would grow up to be a ditch digger, so he
wanted to start practicing. (It makes
me wonder how his family treats him.)
And one young lady requested a pair of matching shotguns. When I asked what she wanted them for, she
said she wanted to go to Afghanistan to protect her Daddy.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At the least my job is interesting. It is also fun, but the nights get long, and
the restrooms are few and far between.
I’m glad for this break. But I’ll start preparing for next year tomorrow
morning.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I wrote these words a year ago (2019) not knowing there
would be a pandemic known as Covid-19 virus.
This year (2020) I was unable to put on the red suit even once. There have been years when I thought of
parking the sleigh permanently, but being forced into retirement was not what I
had in mind. I miss this too much. Next year I'll be back in the sleigh, and I
can hardly wait.</p>DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-37013005854198075192020-12-11T23:24:00.002-08:002020-12-17T08:48:48.002-08:00Bob Lost His Keys <p> Last year my neighbor passed away 3 months shy of his 100<sup>th</sup>
birthday. Bob was a big loss to our
neighborhood, and he will not soon be forgotten. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Bob had lived in his house more than seventy years. Back in the late 1940’s he moved to
California, got married, built his house from scratch, and raised a
family. Bob would never consider, even
in the smallest amount, ever moving out of his house. And he was true to the end.
Bob passed away at home, in his bed, surrounded by family. Who could ask for more?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I was privileged to know Bob for his final 3 ½ years. He was funny, generous, and kind. Even though he was struggling to walk, he
would often find a way to step onto his porch to greet my wife and I if we were
outside. Every Thursday he would have
someone drive him to the local Senior Center where he would play Bingo for a
few hours. And every Friday he would
find it necessary to tell me how much he won playing the game. It was usually 2 or 3 dollars, and he played
only 12 games (at 1 dollar per game) to win it. But he had fun being the only man at the venue. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">During his last year, I began taking his trashcans to the
curb each week for the sanitation engineers to pick up. I noticed very little in the cans beyond ice
cream cartons, so I asked the obvious question: "Do you need help getting
groceries, or preparing food?” To this
I received 3 minutes of laughter as a reply.
It seems Bob decided that healthy eating habits were only for those
persons hoping for a long healthy life, and he had already accomplished
that. At his age (98 at the time) he
decided to eat what he wanted, and what he wanted was an unlimited supply of
ice cream. The only variance in his
ice cream diet was found in brand and flavor. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">About 2 months before Bob passed away, I spend an afternoon
with him on his back porch listening to the many stories he had lived through
in his lifetime. Neither of us really
wanted to be sitting on his porch, but Bob couldn’t find the keys to his door,
and managed to lock himself out of his home.
Spare keys had been hidden is very specific spots around his property,
and I knew where most of them were, so I started searching. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first place I looked, Bob immediate informed me he had
loaned those keys to his grandson. So I
went to the second place only to be told his grandson’s wife had those
keys. Number 3 went to another
grandson. Number 4 went to his
daughter’s partner’s brother. And so
forth. No spare keys were
remaining. So we sat on his back porch
trying to call everyone with a key. Not
answering. Out of town. Lost the key. Oh, I have a key?
Etc. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For several hours I listened to Bob’s stories. He spent World War II in Africa as a supply
clerk near Casablanca where he went swimming in the ocean every afternoon. When it was time to return home, he flew
back in the open door bomb bay of a B-24.
He said he watch the Atlantic Ocean beneath his feed for the many hours
of the flight, all the time hoping not to fall out. When I asked him if he was strapped in, he replied, “Where's the
fun in that?" ‘Quite a character’
does not begin to describe Bob.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Finally Bob ran out of stories, and we grew tired of waiting
for some of those persons not answering their phones to return messages. Bob’s neighbor to the east (I live on the
west side) noticed us and came over to visit.
When we told him the circumstances, he retrieved some tools from his
home to break into Bob’s house. In just
a few minutes Bob was inside eating ice cream.
The next day I repaired the damage to the doorframe, and was handed a
spare set of keys--just in case. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Bob left this world a little over a year ago, and
every day when I step outside the first thing I do is check to see if Bob is
out on his porch to greet me.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I know he
is no longer there, but I still see him every time I look at the house that Bob
built.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-34467329415233659442020-09-18T07:57:00.000-07:002020-09-18T07:57:16.891-07:002020 Wild Game Feed<p>Today is a sad day for those of us who attend the Annual
Wild Game Feed each year at Irvine Lake.
The cancellation of this year’s event has left a very large hole in each
of our schedules that is hard to fill due to all the restrictions during the
pandemic.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> Each year I usually get together with some friends the day
before the main event and have a mini-feed.
Since we see each other only once a year, this is really our only time
together, because once we get to the Feed, we are busy making new friends. There was no mini-feed this year. It will be another entire year before we can
see each other again--that is, if the restrictions are lifted by then. Right now I can dream. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> We all know canceling the Feed was the right thing to do. This virus must be stopped, and sooner is
better than later. But still, it has
already been a very long year of waiting for the return of the Feed, and now we
must wait another long year. On the
plus side, that means those in charge of putting it together have another year
to improve upon perfection. I hate
waiting, but it is always worth the wait. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> My calendar is already marked for September 17, 2021. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> Stay Safe!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> See you at the Feed!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> Meat and Beer!</p>DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725373384362077581.post-61423276126699441652020-06-22T18:19:00.001-07:002020-06-22T18:19:50.300-07:00We Knew It Was Going To HappenI had a bad feeling when I first heard about the covid-19
virus. Somehow I just knew it would
bite into the Annual Wild Game Feed at Irvine Lake, and that’s just what
happened. The 2020 Annual Wild Game
Feed Main Event for September 18, 2020 has been CANCELLED! Bummer! And a few other choice words to go
with it. But it is for the best. This virus must be stopped, and the Board of
Directors felt the safety of everyone involved was the most important item on
the Feed’s agenda.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sooooo…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NEXT
YEAR!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>September 17, 2021.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mark your calendar for the third Friday in
September, 2021.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
See you at the Feed!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Meat and Beer!</div>
<br />DGLloydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529968831308568599noreply@blogger.com2