April - First Monday thereof. I'm back!

     Stormy day in SouthWoodsUSA™.  Way bad wind and rain and possible (they said) Tornadoes.
     Just as I started to post the latest on Buddy Bear's Cats' World's Blather Blog, we had a power surge, the warning we seem to always have for upcoming nasty weather,  the computer restarted and I had one big ole Redneck hissy fit.  I just knew that I had lost my post.  But, I forgot that Blogspot saves almost immediately after you stop typing for just a few seconds.  And since I have my browser set to reopen previously view pages the next time it opens, all I had to do was spend a half hour trying to get the damn ISP and their quirky modem to reboot together.  In the end, I left the thing burbling along talking to itself, took my weary butt to the feathers, curled the Bear (that's Buddy Bear, our little soon to be 10yr old Ragamuffin) in my arms and went to sleep.  Rebooting was a matter of unplug and replug power cords to the Modem and the wireless router.  Buddy helped!
     I'm told I slept through two more nasty/noisy/soggy storms.  Woke up after the evening news (which I'm sure I wouldn't have been interested in anyway), had a few sips of by then warm lumpy water, refilled my mug, fought off the Heathen's (that's the baby, almost 7yr old Tuxedo, Rowdy by name) attempts to drink said water down to the lumps, and went outside to take out the trash.  It was COLD out there.  Way cold.  At least, thought, the rain had stopped.
    While out there I noticed the two outsider girlkitties, Smokey and Miss Princess were at outs with each other and were sulking one in each end of the Cat Porch, their one outside crunchy bowl was finally free of those tiny little nuisance sugar ants, and the porch was half afloat with the back-wash from the drip-drip from the eave of the roof.  Doin my Kitty Daddy duties, I loved the girls, swept the porch, refilled the bowl, freshened up the girls room (read here 'converted, heated, laundry room') adding fresh dry food and water, and walked off without taking the dirty stinky goodness bowls in.  (I just now thought of that last item).
     All seems well outside now, nothing blown away, no trees blown down, yet there are Willow and Oak limbs and branches all over the acre.  Thankfully most of the remaining leaves were blown off and away, to where I do NOT know and certainly do NOT give a bit rats patootie, just am thankful they are gone.
     I did notice several of the surrounding neighbours' trash cans (tomorrow is Garbage Guy day here) had been flung about, lids missing, and contents strewn all over ..... this time, thankfully, nothing deposited in my part of the neighborhood.  Most all the loose debris is tactfully deposited down the road immediately in front of MY acre.  So be it.
     I do NOT do road pickup.  Not anymore!  Not with all these young whippersnappers ripping up and down the roadway on their two, three and four wheelers at all hours of the day and night, all living within 2 - 3 miles of said strewn garbage.  If the garbage gets in their way, THEY can pick it up.  County maintenance certainly does NOT pick up anything.  I've done my more than a few decades of picking up after someone else.  Now the task falls on other shoulders.  They wanna live in a dump they can.  My acre, other than having Mother Nature's droppings, is clean.  Thankyouverrymuch.
     Ok, bitch, whine and whimper time over.  (Did I tell anyone here that I do this quite often?  And that the thoughts, opinions, and foul language used here is/are/am MINE and all MINE.  I quote no one here but me!)  Enough of that.
     What did we do today?  Not diddly s#!(.  Went out on the Cat Porch when the first blowing storm came though with my hackles standing on end.  I'm sure most of you have heard or read descriptions of oncoming tornadoes 'sounding like a freight train coming at you.'  Well Bubala, I HEARD one today, and it passed just over my head ..... didn't touch down near or on us, but it was up there.  Winds were laying pines almost flat on the ground.  Several of the really small, young saplings DID lay down ..... they're not back up yet, so I imagine they were uprooted, or at least the taproot snapped.  Vertical rain, moving so fast it was like someone throwing rocks at you.  I thought for a minute or two that it was hailstones, but not.  Just hefty, fast moving rain drops.  Proof of rainfall is out there.  All kinds of little lakes and puddle all over the acre.
     We'll need the pontoon boat to get to the car tomorrow should M'Lady decide to make the trip to civilization for the 'forgotten' and 'just thought of' goodies we didn't pick up on the 2nd of the month.  But that's another tale for another day.
     I saw something out there today that I did not like, and I had to sit back in the corner and ask myself "Why are we being spared again?"
     Then, I asked myself "Why am I looking a gift horse in the mouth?"
     No answer for either question.  So I'll stop with this.

     I know it's not what most folks would consider read-worthy, and for those of you who DO think such, I will refrain from dropping my opinion of your opinion in here.  Read between the lines. :^)
     Just meanderings from the aged mind of theWizard they call Sergeant Pop, aka KnightOwl, the one the teachers called 'Tommy' even after me Da lit their fuses with the information that his only (he swore he couldn't stand another) son was NOT a 'Tommy' but a 'Roy'.
     Whatever!  Y'all come see us when you can, check out Buddy Bear's Blog, visit, if you will, our Cats' World's Forums, and if by chance you are on AbleMinds.com, check us out at SouthWoodsUSA™, our collection of forums there.  Of course our home is the website called Buddy Bear's Cats' World, and is open to everyone, cat lover or not.  The links to all our sites are located on the start page of the Web Site.
     Now I'll get off this keyboard so little Tegar, the creme coloured kitty can get back on to finish his nap.
     Y'all come.  And bring/send your neighbours and friends.
     Newbies/Characters are welcome too!

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Monday - Just taking up the slack in here

            I'm back with a whole mess of gripes, complaints, and other assorted and sundry whines, whimpers, and boo hoos.  But before we get into those here's a hearty and supposedly happy  Good Morning one and all.  Here's hoping the day looks, and feels way better in your neck of the woods than it does in mine.  
     Another dreary looking, chilly, day here in the SouthWoods.  Supposedly a great day to start the week.  I have my doubts, but that's just my opinion.  And you know what 'they' say about opinions.  NO?  Well, 'they' say "Opinions are like a$$holes.  Everybody's got one."  Mine just stinks more so than most.  (happy now.  Learn something new every day!)
     Not to get into a favored debate this morning, but I'm thinking the grass is too green out there, and is a mite too tall for my taste.  That means, when this mess of storms has past and gone and all is dry outside, I'm supposed to get out and ride the little red engine around the acre like I can afford to spend near $5 a gallon for gas to cut the weeds and other foliage growing there.  And at that, do it most of the day, refill the gas tank, and do it all over next week again.  That ain't my way to grow old and weary in peace.  NOT!
     But that's just one man's complaint.
     As to other assorted and sundry gripes I might have this morning, I feel well supplied for a lengthy and quite boring blather here.  Mayhap we can find some photos to go with it ..... mayhap not.  We'll see.  
     Shortly after disposing of this edition of the Blather Blog, I'm gone to table ...... my pills are waiting, my tummy is rumbling, and I haven't had my morning dose of Earl Gray.  The puddytats are waiting too.  My escort service is purring and prancing at the door as I type.  'Little Yellow Fellow' (Tegar, the Cream Puff) and 'Big Spot' (Rowdy, the Tux) are antsy for a freshup and refill of the crunchy bowls and the water.  'Bubba' (Buddy Bear, the walking dust mop) and 'Ninji Kitty' (MikiCato, the house panther) are waiting in front of a cold heater (that they want turned on immediately, if not sooner!)  Must do my duties as 'they' see them.  The outside ladies, Miss Princess (aka Spooky, the hairy black basketball) and her  sissyfurr, Smokey, (the little grey tiger) have not been spotted out the window to the Cat Porch (read here, car port) yet.  Well, hopefully they are still abed in their boudoir (the laundry room at the back of the CP.)
     Well, your tough luck.  I had a whole diatribe of whine and rant laid out to dump on you, but, having mistakenly mentioned 'the table', which brought up the location of said table (the fun room, aka dining/living/kitchen type room), which contains the pantry, the fridge, and all the glorious goodies and stuff that makes this old Owl function, has caused a meltdown in the area of the belt buckle (damn noisy area that), and so, I shall make you wait until the next edition to know what has my dander up.
     On the brighter side, here's something I once heard someone call 'Eye Candy', what we 'normal' folk would call a picture ..... our picture of the day.

This, of course is the house panther, MikiCato astride his most favoured of all toys

the Small One found at the local flea market one summer day.

That cat guarded, and rode, that thing until it was in shreds.

I tried to re-cover it but it just wasn't to be.

It disappeared late one night while he slept in bed. He still searches for the thing.

Buddy never rode it but loved to try to get underneath it.

I guess he was just pulling maintenance on it ..... oil change and such.

     I'd like to add a happy Hi and Hello to an old friend that has been silent on the blogs for way too long, at least up until he dropped a comment and greeting on our last Blather here.  Eric Valentine!  Welcome back my Friend.  Hoping to see you back on the Blog and writing.  You have been missed.

     I'm gone!

     Later .....

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Wednesday - Just Rambling On

     Not very punctual with my postings of late, am I?  Well, I never was dependable.  At least I was told that many times back when I could barely see over the edge of the dining room table.  Well, I couldn't help it.  No one told me the proper places for all the forks and spoons and glasses and plates.  Besides, my arms weren't long enough ..... then.
     Later, I was always busy with something else, a guitar, a harmonica, the old upright piano setting out on the back porch, then a bit later, the girls, the band, my drums, the girls, my new tenor sax, the majorettes, the dance band, the old Chevy Woodie Station wagon my Aunt let us have to haul the instruments and the girls in ......  well, we all know how it ended.  Off to college and the girls, the music, the dances, the stage shows, the girls ...... That ended in 1961.  That was  when I gave it all up and went off to war, made it to Germany, and fought a major battle, loosing the battle to a tiny Sicilian Lady. Got  myself hooked, I did.
     I put on my full dress blues, spit shined my low quarters, invited my platoon to the wedding, and couldn't believe it when they all showed up forming an 'Honor Guard' for the wedding.  That wedding was 47 years ago.  Hell, I still don't know where all that silverware and crystal and china goes.  I definitely know how to use it, though .....
     What does all this have to do with what I'm supposed to talk about this morning?  Nothing, actually, just thought of it and figured it would be a good lead in to the main subject.  Now, if I can just find my notes I'll see what the main subject was supposed to be and get on with the posting.  Like everything else I have gotten myself into this chilly spring day, this may be a loooong session.  Got your snacks and the cool one by your side?  How 'bout the lap robe (kitty to those who are NOT in the know).  Geez ..... wise up people.  Don't you know reading Blather Blogs is lots more fun when you have a cat on your lap?  Try it.  I'm thinking you will get a different outlook on life in general.  If nothing else you will definitely get a lap full of kitty hair.  This time of year it's flying everywhere.  You know, thinking about the cat hair all over the house and on the clothes and furniture, I am SO GLAD all the so-called friends I don't like are allergic to cats.  Saves me the trouble of having to be nice to the stuffed shirts and priss-misses.
     Don't worry, I'm not all that bad.  My 6 cats like me.  I can live with that.
     As I said before, this has been a long day, and the Spring cleanup and fix up tasks have taken much  longer than they did last year and the year before and ..... NO, it is NOT the age, just the mileage.  I'm thinking I need to take myself to the body shop for a overhaul.  If it wasn't for the fact I'm allergic to some paints, I would go for the full re-do.  Probably better I not have any changes made.  Wife and Cats are used to my looks now.  I'd hate to scare them with a new face.  It was hard enough them gettin used to the one I have.
     I have to admit here, that I don't remember what I was going to talk about, so I'm going to hunt up a couple pictures of the place, maybe a sunrise or sunset shot taken from the yard here at Five Oaks.
     I'm still trying to pull up the storage site I have my stuff and things on.  Seems the Web, and more than likely, my ISP has gone on a walkabout and forgot to take me with them.  I suspect I have to re-boot my modem.  Lots of that going on this Spring, especially with all the rain we're having of late.

     It took every bit of 5 minutes to reboot and refresh everything.  I'm liking the fact Blogspot.com saves as we type.  I would have had a major case of the mads if I had lost all these fantabulously intelligent thoughts and bits of wise and wondrous wisdom I've offered everyone here.  Not having lost anything, I think we can call this one 'Fini', and take a look see at what I found on the secret most private locked away photo storage site.  Mine, all mine, so there!

A SouthWoodsUSA sunrise back in January of 2005

That was a colorful morning

and again that evening as well. 

I only wish ..... well I did get some great looking shots

but what if ......

just a year, to the date later, I caught this sunset

Mother Nature does a good job of painting the sky

but she can pick some COLD days to do it.

     I have had a good day.  Hope you all have had the same, and will continue to enjoy the re-birth of Mother Nature's finest.  Have a happy rest of the week.  Get out and walk, and don't forget to take the camera with you.  You don't have to be a professional photographer to get some good pictures.  The memory of the shot is the thing.  

     I'm gone .....

     Later .....

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Just one of our many Grandcats!  

This is one humongonous big guy

a very loving cuddlefluff

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Wednesday - They cut my Trees Down!

  
You would think maybe I could show a little of our part of the world here wouldn't ya?  Well, I guess I can, since I do have a few photos uploaded and stored on the proper sites for such doins!  Henceforth and (hopefully) from now on, I'll try to add at least one picture, either from the past, present, or 'way back yonder.'
     Just a warning/reminder, (chose the word that fits here and read it into the sentence) if I may.  I am NOT a professional photographer, nor am I a professional writer.  Therefore you will see some rather 'shapshot' like pictures.  Then there are the 'oops', or surprise shots that came along recently.  The reason for the better quality, is, naturally, a better quality of camera.  One designed for the unstable hand of this Old Owl!  Enough of this.  As to the writings, you get what I have on my mind at the time I write it.  My opinions, my thoughts ..... Enough said about that.
     This evening I'm taking advantage of an extended morning's sleep (another note here:  we sleep way late each morning, usually until noon!) to do a little extra Blogging (I call it Blathering) here and on our Cat Blog called Buddy Bear's Cats' World.   Today's Cat blather having been posted, here's my offering for my blather here.
     I, being a country bird, have little in the way of citified entertainment.  It's all country born and bred.  Sometimes it makes sense to those living in in a Metropolis type environment, sometimes not.  I'll try to make it understandable for one and all.  I said "I'll TRY!"
     Spring moving in causes those things called trees, bushes, shrubs and other assorted pretties Mother Nature has in her loverly Earth wide garden, to sprout leaves, flowers,  to grow taller, to spread out the limbs, and generally take more and more space around themselves.  Annual trimming/pruning of the aforementioned growth is a once a year job the local power (hydro) company takes very seriously.
     Today just happened to be the day the tree cutters showed up with the fancy monster truck with attached long arm saw and the cargo truck pulling the very noisy 'chipper' that grinds full sized trees into very small chunks and spits them out into the cargo truck.  I think you get the message here.
     A little history here:  Roughly 20 years ago, M'Lady Lisa, the cats and I bought and moved onto the acre here, located in NE Mississippi, into our own little home we call Five Oaks Manor.   The full name given is Five Oaks Manor, SouthWoodsUSA.  It's not on the map that way, but we will discuss that later.  As I started to say, when we moved in the acre was sporting 5 Oak trees along the front of the acre along the edge of the country road.  (there is where the name 5 Oaks came from.  Original, Huh?)  The rest of the acre had two large pines, and one hardwood shade tree (breed and type still unknown).  Summers were quite hot in the beginning without shade.
     Having plans to retire here, hang my hammock in the back yard under the maple and white ash trees, I had one problem from the start.  NO maple or ash there.  So I lucked out, caught the local Agriculture Dept. the day they were to throw out the left over tree seedlings they offer each year to landowners in the district.  I offered to remove the remaining bales of pine and white ash they had in stock.  The trunk of my old Lincoln Continental (since deceased) was swiftly and fully loaded, and I went tooling merrily on my way to work.  Break time saw the parking lot full of friends and fellow workers splitting up the bales I had purloined.
     I came home with enough pine seedlings to do a double row of 'wind breakers' on the east and the west side of the acre.  I chose my double hand full of white ash to be planted over the rest of the acre and called the neighbors.  Over 1000 pine seedlings were picked up, and most were planted down the north side of the road going west from my house.  I've been told 'my trees are all over the SouthWoods area.  Makes me feel good.  At least we did what the majority of the folk moving out here do NOT do.  We planted.  Most city folk moving out will raze the property to the ground, then build dwelling and utility sheds and call it finished.  I was always taught to, when at all possible, to replace the trees that are cut.  I guess we did.
     Now my own private little forest is growing nicely, I'm now wondering what I'm going to do now that I'm almost to the point of not being able to rake those leaves and needles up so the weeds and such can be cut regularly!  Well, this is the country.  I don't have the City Mothers and the Home Owner's Association down on me to 'cut and clean and heed the rules.'  My acre in the woods.  My woods.  Go get your own.
     What am I blathering about?  What am I leading up to?  Read on.  The background has been laid.  We carry on.
      Simply put, when I planted my trees there were no overhead power lines running out into the wilderness overhead.  I came home from work one day a couple months after the plantings to find a power pole and a mobile home parked on the quarter acre next door.  The lines ran at an angle across the pines on the east side of the acre.  I didn't think much of it, just wondering what we were in for what with the trailer home crowded between the to properties.  Well, the trouble we ran into before the trailer was abandoned years later is fodder for another day.
     Today, the crew came to cut my trees.  This would be the second year they did this, merely topping them off and leaving the stunted and rather odd looking.  And then there was the next year to think of and the next year and the next ..... what with prices on everything rising down here like the water behind the damn with all the drains closed, the thought is WHY trim every year when they should by all right be taken down to the ground.  I broached the subject to the 'boss' and the deed was did.
     My heart hurt to see my 'babies' being felled and ground into ground cover before my very eyes.  Whatever.  It had to be done.  Still, I planted, I nursed, I watered, I staked and painstakingly pampered those trees, dodging carefully when mowing the lawn, careful not to score the bark around the tree when I did the weeds and grass the mower would not get to so the tree would not die.  I lost 4 in roughly 20 years.
     Then they come and drop half the row.
     I know, I know, they have the right.  The people need their power and it is against the law to refuse access to my property for the running of power lines.  Still .....
     I'm not one to raise hell about something like this, but .....
     And that was my day!  What did you do today?
     Oh, before I quit, here's something to let you know I DO live 'out there in the sticks', and honestly, love the hell out of it.  We even have hardtop roads.  Just imagine!

Five Oaks Manor, SouthWoodsUSA,

home of the 6 Mouskateers,

 their Small One, Lisa

and their Big One, Roy, Sr

     Having problems with the storage site, 'the Bucket' tonight, so I pulled this one from the front page of our private web site on the WWW.  Next episode we'll take a look at before and after the Owl (me) and the Ladybug (Lisa) took proud possession of our acre in the SouthWoods of NE Mississippi, USA.

     Y'all come back again.  We're just getting started on this tale.
     I'm gone .....

     Later .....

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Click on the banner to visit the web site.

Don't forget to visit Buddy's Blog.  Links to all our holding are on the front page of the Web Site.

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Tuesday's Edition - Is it Respect, or is it Pride?

     Living in a mostly rural area, we 'country folk' have to make the occasional trip to town to the local post office for special mailings.  The other day was one of those days for us.  One letter to go to a close Friend in Canada, 7 stamps to take care of the monthly bills, and some boxes for shipping some goodies the Wife mate has readied to go out to family and friends.
     So, I hopped in the little 'Green Hornet' (Dodge Stratus, circa 2003, dark green in color), my little plastic roller skate, and headed out to the local village a couple three miles down the SouthWoods trail.  Not being the proud owner of a wrist watch, (threw my last one away when I went to put it on one day and discovered it had died on me) I didn't know the late hour of the day.  Never did like battery powered gadgets.  Anyway, being retired I pride myself on NOT being a clock watcher.
     OK, getting off the subject, but not really.  I made it to the post office just as the Post Mistress (What? That's not Politically correct? So sue me!)  was walking out the front door.  I pulled into the empty spot just in front of the small flag pole where the lady had stopped and was fiddling with the halyard for the flag.  Realizing she was about to lower Old Glory for the day, I hopped out, snapped to (that's 'stood at attention' for those that claim they don't know proper flag etiquette), removed the hat and covered my heart (which is the proper salute required of an individual dressed in 'civvies').
     After the flag had been folded, I approached the lady and was told the PO was closed but, for me, she would certainly open.  She seemed flustered.  Inside, I was informed she had never seen anyone stop and salute the flag when she raised or lowered it each day.  All I could say was that, to me it was respect, respect due to the Flag of My Country, and that I had served over 16 years in the military protecting that flag and I was NOT about to loose my respect for it just because the majority of America had lost theirs.
     Well, in the process of getting the stamps, plastering them on the envelopes, her making change, and her telling me again that I gave her a very pleasant surprise, selecting boxes for the next mailings of Ladybug's (M'Lady Lisa) knittings to friends and family, we both forgot the 'book' of stamps I had ordered and paid for.
     Long story short, I went back the next morning, was afforded another complement on my conduct of the day before, swapped apologies for the stamp incident, and picking up my stamps, I bid the lady good day and went home.  I felt a bit flustered on the way home.
     Actually I felt strange.  I did something that, back in MY time, ALL Americans did ..... I paid respect to the symbol of my country, the land I live in, the land I fought for in Viet Nam, the land I gave almost 2 decades of my life to protecting, and was told I did something never seen before in this town by this one individual.
     I'm wonder what has happened!  Where's the patriotism?  Does anyone give a tinkers damn about the country they live in today?  Maybe it's the water they're drinking.
     Sound silly huh?  It's not, at least to me.
     Will someone explain it to me?  I'm not too old to learn something new.  At least I don't think so.  Maybe the powers that be ......
     I'll let this one rest.  Just a rant actually.  Later we may get into a higher gear.  Right now I'm closing this one and hoping all have a good weekend, and don't forget where you are.  It's our land, and we DO owe it at least a modicum of respect.
     Just a friendly NOTE here for those new to the KnightOwl's Blathers:  
     This is a Blather, a personal rambling, a snippet of thought, and NOT an invitation to dive in to the Comments here with an highly over opinionated, 'I know it all' indisputable dissertation.  In other words, I am not posting this and any other ramblings here to open up a debate in Comments, and I will NOT tolerate one here.  Comments, are welcome, and friendly opinions are too, but beware the 'holier than thou', abusive, tirade.  It's not needed, and will net the offending individual the boot from the Comments.  Enough said.        

     Everyone have a great day, take care, and while you are out and about, look around, check out the world about you.  There are many interesting happenings here and there.  Make note, and, if you are a-mind to do a little finger bending, talk to us here.  We're good at listening too.
     I'm gone .....
     Later .....

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Introducing Me, Myself and I!

     This will be the place the KnighOwl, aka Roy, Sr, aka The Wizard Sgt.Pop (I even answer to 'Hey You' on occasion) has his say about this and that, mostly stuff and things from the mind and memory of and Old Man.  I am that old man and I am here to talk.  I'll leave the comments open to all registered members of Blogspot.com with nothing more than the simple character recognition thingie to keep the machines and spiders and such out.  First sign of trouble, or of Spamming, and I will go the Moderated route.  That is, you post your comments, do the recognition requirement and then sit on your fists until I get back to approve/disapprove the posts.
     That latter I do NOT wish to do.  We shall see what happens though.
     As of right now I am working on the post for Buddy Bear's Cats' World's Blog.  When the day's prior commitments are seen to, the cats are fed, we have all had our cat nap, some crunchies and a dish of milk, Me, Myself and I will be in to sort things out.  Buddy Bear will be hanging around as well.  He's our chief owner, human trainer, and night time sleeping partner.  Well, you can check on him and the rest of the clowder at his Blog and of course at his Web Site.  Links to our other holdings and active sites around the WWW are found on the start page of the Web Site.
     Color me gone for now.  But ......
     I'll be back .....
     Later .....

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