Finally a break from the heat

After work on Friday evening, Mama went to Louisville to clean THE Varmit's (daughter) apartment. Marisa was working one of her 12 hour shifts at the Emer Room at the Hospital, and just doesn't have time (or desire) to do it herself.
I helped too, I stayed the hell out of the way by grabbing the mutts and headed down to the cabin at the farm. By the time I ran some errands, got the dogs, packed some grubb,and stopped to bullsh#t with the tenant, I didn't get to the cabin till around 10:30.
After letting the mutts run for awhile, and unpacking the truck, I found that I was "one bushed puppy". I ended up crashing around 11:30!
This morning I let the dogs run some more as I fixed a big pot of coffee and settled down on the porch to get in some quality reading time. I had to break off the reading in order to fix a late breakfast of bacon and eggs in my iron skillet on my gas grill. Sometimes you have to improvise!
I decided that I did not want to put the stove inside the cabin to save on room. So, I had Andy (tenant that built the cabin) to put the stove/sink/cabinets outside on the side porch. He had not yet gotten it hooked up to the gas cylinder.
A few weeks ago, I went into Owenton to hunt down some yard sales to find an old fashioned wash pan (like the kind country folks had on their back porches to wash their hands in). I wanted it to use it for washing dishes and also for "washing up".
I found what I was looking for at the first yard sale (galvanized wash pan), also two cast iron skiletts, a cast iron griddle, and a good set of 7 X 35 binoculars. Total price for everything= $27!
I was able to spend several wonderful relaxing hours with my book (actually a Kindle) ...only enterupted by occasionly calling the dogs in, and refilling the coffee mug.
Andy came by late in the afternoon and completed the task of "hooking up" the gas lines from the stove to the cylinder. It is a somewhat compact stove/oven/sink/cabinet that he salvaged out of an old RV. It needs a little cleaning up (next trip), but, I couldn't pass up on the bargain low price for it and the installation....which was ....free!
Around 6:00 p.m., I had to head back home to help Kim at one of our clients place. It only took about 45 minutes to complete, but, that's the way it is when you run your own business.

43 Years Ago

Here I am 43 years ago. Check out my " Ambition" !

Magic Anyone?

In my profile, I mentioned that I have an interest in performing magic. In the future, I will tape one of my "minor miracles" for y'all to see.
However, I'll attach a video of my buddy Gary Burgdorf performing a "ring and string routine" at our Owen County Magicians Convention last year.

Frugal....or just Cheap?

Some folks might accuse me of "just being cheap", however, due to my Scotch ancestry, I prefer the description of being frugal.
Example: I drive a vehicle until it drops, and has almost no value other than "junkyard price".
However, I insist that anything I drive must be safe and dependable. I spare no expense on these two features.
My wife had been driving a 2003 Jeep ...fully loaded top of the line...and it was a beauty...but, it had a problem of breaking down. So, finally, in December, she went out and bought a new Ford Edge. (Which she loves).
The Varmit (our daughter) drove a 2000 Dodge Intrepid (which was handed down from her Momma when she got her Jeep) two years in High School, 4 years of College, and a year after graduation from Nursing School. She ,too, got the "new car bug" and purchased a 2007 Ford Explorer pickup with all the bells and whistles.
The 2000 Dodge Intrepid (175,000 miles) is in great shape, great tires, new air conditioner and well maintained...but, the dealership offered only $350 trade-in value! Momma was about to agree to that...until I stepped in and put the skids to that nonsense.
My vehicle is a 2000 Chevy S-10 4 wheel drive...in great shape and has 165,000 miles on it. I love it because I can take it down to the farm and go anywhere I want to go.
So, I now have two vehicles ( totally paid for), and I have the luxury of having a spare vehicle if I need it. The only thing that I didn't like about the truck is that only two people can ride in it. Now, I have the option of more room for other passengers.
Since I use the vehicles for our business, I let our company pay for maintenance, gas, and repairs. Thus, I'm able to sock away about $1,000 monthly in a "rainy day fund" for emergencies, or to buy something newer later on....and not be bothered by high payments.
I got over that " car ego thing " many years ago( and yep...I was still single then) when I sold my 1965 Corvette Convertible. That sale helped out nicely toward my first house downpayment!

Preserving Memories

I bought my first video camera in May 1982. It was a "state of the art" unit which I paid $2,400.
However, it was also a unit which could be portable and operated by battery.
My main reason for purchasing this toy was to be able to go out and video tape some of the "old folks in the family", so years later, the younger generation would be able to see and hear their ancestors. I tried to do intervues, and shot a lot at the few family reunions.
The other night on Facebook, one of my "much younger" third cousins (who now lives in Pittsburgh) mentioned "her Poppy"(which was her grandfather...and my first cousin who passed away around 1984). I asked if she remembered seeing the video I shot at their house back in 1982 when she was about 5 years old. She said that she didn't remember it.
Well, she is in for a very pleasant surprise this evening when she gets her e-mail and finds a 10 minute You Tube copy of this event. In it she'll see her "Poppy" and her "Daddy" (who just passed away last year) along with her two grandmothers, her Mom, (who are still living here in KY) and her younger sister who was about 2 years old.
I would urge EVERYONE to go through any and all of your old family photos with "the older folks" to identify them, and write the names on the back along with other data. Then, copy them to a disk!

Weekend Loafing

With the weather so hot and miserable, I decided to just lay low down here in my "Man Cave Dungeon" which is located back in a quiet, cool corner of my basement.
I started off playing with Blogspot to "reach out and touch the world". I managed (with the help of two lovely Southern ladies... Carol and Jenny)... to bungle my way into communicating with others on this "new fangled site".
My usual weekday wake up time of 5:30 A.M was somehow overlooked this weekend.... I actually slept in till about 10:00. After coffee, and reading the paper.... I slunk back down to the dungeon to keep my dogs company, and played with the computer.
Saturday afternoon, I was forced to put on a coat and tie...and fancy damned shoes that hurt my feet... and attend a wedding and the boring reception that followed. I did however, did get my picture taken with "THE VARMIT" (my daughter) ....
I was able to escape by muttering to the "better half", that if I left right then, I just might be able to go home to get the dogs, and make it down to the cabin "before dark". With a gleam in her eyes, she responded with a sweet knowing smile and uttered, " You have a good time!"...which really meant ..."Good riddance!"
Of couse, she knew that I wasn't going to the farm due to the hot weather. But, she was having a good time, and wasn't going to make me suffer through it any longer.
On Sunday evening, I ventured out and cleaned the pump filters on our fish pond.
That was about all of the excitement that I could generate this weekend!

Kentucky Gravehouses

Back in my "Backroads of Kentucky" wandering days photographing waterfalls and unusual things, I came across an abandoned cemetery and found a gravehouse. It tweeked my interest, so, I set about hunting for more. The video below is a result of this search.

Kentucky Gravehouses

Frankfort Ice

Due to the somewhat "warm weather" we are experiencing, thought I'd post a little something to help cool everybody off!

Frankfort Ice

Annual Owen County Magicians Convention

Each Memorial Day Weekend for about the past 14 years, a group of my friends, and their friends, come together at the "Crazyman's Lodge" in Owen county.
It started out with just Magicians, but, over the years, Musicians have seemed to take over. Each year tends to bring out more "new members".
The following clip gives a sample of this years activities.

Elk Creek and Crazyman's.avi

The Farm

Here is a view of "the farm" which has been in my family for over 150 years.

The Farm .wmv

Kentuckys Elkhorn Creek

New Kid (yeah right!!!!) on the Blog

Greetings to all that should stumble upon this site.

Until recently, I had a site called "Kentucky Backroads" on MSN. However, it got so cluttered up with spammers that I had to pretty much give up on it.

I used the site to share small sketches of my existence here on this "life plain". What I shared, and hope to continue doing on this site, is to post my photographs and chronicles of my travels along the "Backroads of Kentucky".

I hope that I can offer some entertainment and "escape" for others as you "wander along with me in the future.