ending the season in style
Crockett the "wonder dog" and I ended Pheasant season in style this morning. We harvested one beautiful "rooster" pheasant, and then went over to another field and popped a couple of quail. He worked so hard. At one point in the day, we were simply crossing a wheat field, and he kept running back to me, looking with this glint in his eye - he was having a blast. They joy of bird hunting really is watching the dog work. I think I bagged 10 pheasants for the season. Much fun.
Can you believe January is over. I'm having such a difficult time (yes, my tongue is planted firmly in my cheek) deciding what to do this evening - watch the Enid Boys play basketball, or watch W. give his speech. Basketball or speech - basketball or speech. Hmmmmm.
Still praying for rain.
Happy birthday, Wolfgang
Mozart turns 250 today. Happy birthday.
tell me it ain't so . . .
Well, there you have it - they are cancelling the "West Wing." The article I read in the paper this morning says that there are seven shows left, they will end with the inauguration of the new president, and then, adios.
My grief occurs on so many levels. This show was, in my opinion, the smartest series that has come out. Wonderful story lines, intriguiging exposure to the way things work in our government, great character development and interaction - I have taped the show from the second season, and have looked forward each week to coming home from church on Wednesday night and watching.
But then, they gave it the death blow. They changed nights. Okay, tell me what show, so late in it's established career, has profited from a change of night. Some shows have done better after they changed nights, but that always seems to be early. What was wrong with Wednesday night. The networks need to get a clue that people watch shows, at least in part, out of habit - and part of that habit is what night they come on.
Here's the larger problem. For the first time in my 48+ years, there is not a show that I really want to watch - week in and week out. I have tired of ER, I'm not in to the cop and detective shows, etc. I'll watch Survivor, and maybe even the Donald - but you can watch those reality shows about twice a season, and get most of what goes on. Television is finally becoming a vast wasteland for your's truly.
I guess it's time to build my second garage/workshop, and become a cabinet builder.
Rumors . . .
Rumors are fun, aren't they. You remember I told you back last summer that we were going to get a Starbucks, not 100 yards from my office door? Well, we're still waiting. However, rumors run rampant - they're coming, they're not coming, ad infinitum, ad nauseum. Well, I can report that people have been working in the building pretty much all week. As though we are actually going to see our Starbucks.That's all I can report.Still praying for rain.
Pray with me, please!!
I've been thinking about this tremendous drought that the plains states have been experiencing - In our part of the country, with the exception of a 2 inch snow a couple of weeks ago, we haven't had measurable precipitation since October 31. Northern Oklahoma thought we were going to see rain over the last weekend, and then again in the middle part of this week. Now, it seems the weather models are indicating that the rain we had hoped for will miss most, if not all of the state. Beyond that, the models indicate that we may be in for more dry weather for the forseeable future.Not that we haven't been, but I am committing to daily prayer on this matter. I have begun petitioning God for rain - pure and simple. God can choose to send some of the rain that the northwest part of the nation has been receiving - the've had way too much over the past couple of months, while we haven't had any. Will you join me in daily prayers for rain?
It's a world-wide ministry
I just checked my site meter, and someone has accessed my site from 6 of the 7 continents in the last 100 visits. Where do these people come from?And why are there no bloggers in Antartica?
Three posts in one day????????
Isn't this a banner day . . .I clicked on the ole web counter, and noticed that in the last 100 "hits" to this website, we have heard from 5 of the seven continents. I think that's so incredibly cool.Now, in your best Forrest Gump voice, say it with me - "It's a world-wide ministry . . ."
oops - I forgot something . . .
I am getting to that age where I don't remember everything I want to remember. For example, this morning I had determined that one of the reasons I wanted to blog was to mention to you the thing I am about to mention. But alas, I closed out my first post of the day, and neglected to mention the thing I am about to mention to you. Now if I could just remember what I was going to mention to you . . .Oh, yeah - I found a great website this morning which features a daily dose of Garrison Keillor. Those of you who love NPR and the Prairie Home Companion will appreciate this site. Five minutes of Garrison every day - just imagine . . .
Man - I'm glad I remembered to remember to tell you about this . . .
and a wonderful Wednesday to you . . .
Miscelleneous thoughts on this beautiful Wednesday.
For the oddest reasons, I really miss Dad today. I would love to talk to him about Sandra Day O'Conner, my trout fishing trip the other day, and the Enid High Basketball team (way to go, Plainsmen - now 9-2). I think we would have had a long chat today . . .
HELP !!!!! - some setting is different on my computer, and I am unable to post pictures on this, or any blog. The computer is not linking to the blogger screen from which you choose your picture - do I have a block on, or something??
Did I mention that the boys won last night. Great game. I especially loved the move Ben Pontious put on the opposition as they were trying to inbound the ball. He jumped straight up, blocked the inbounds pass, jumped up again while the ball was still in the air, and then bounced it off the man who was originally trying to pass the ball inbounds (who was still standing out of bounds), and it resulted in a turnover. What a "heads up" play!!!
Maybe more later . . .
SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Finally - wonderful, blessed snow. Precipitation. I had about two inches at my house, but they say that just north, and especially east of town, we had up to 11 inches. Praise be to God!!!!!
On the twelfth day of Christmas . . .
This has been a wonderful Christmas season for me. Relaxed time, some wonderful worship services, time with family, a few football games, the occasional movie - even a few pheasant hunts.
In a belated response to my last blog entry, Thankyadarlin' says, "I think it's time to examine why you apparently don't like blogging anymore" - well, I've been busy. Everyone knows that after the birth of a baby, you cubbyhole for a little while, and enjoy the baby. That's what I've been up to. Christ is born, and I've been enjoying the baby. Even changed a diaper or two . . .
Seriously, though - I've been reading some. I picked up Jimmy Carter's new book, Our Endangered Values. Not finished yet, but I can already heartily recommend this book to all who have some interest in how politics works, and why things seem to be so crazy these days. It is an easy read, although some may feel that they need to keep a dictionary at hand as they work through his highly accurate language usage. I personally find that sort of writing stimulating. I'm also reading a Gordon MacKenzie book, Orbiting the Giant Hairball, as a part of a discipline for a new Peer Learning Group that I am a part of.
Mostly, I've been organizing. I'm purposefully scaling back some of my outside activities so that I can focus more specific energies on the church and our ministry. I'm in the process of planning, working out goals, scheduling - all of the stuff that goes with the beginning of a new year and the associated re-energizing thereof.
Far be it from me (tongue firmly planted in my cheek) to point out that in December, I posted seven times, plus twice on the Cornerstone Universe blog, and 5 sermons on the Cornerstone Pulpit blog - all while Thankyadarlin' only posted six times . . . but whose counting?? Rest assured, I value you as readers, and I suspect that in the not too distant future, I will resume to the normal, or perhaps even intensified pace of putting my thoughts, considerations, insights, ramblings, and drivel to keyboard.
Congrats to University of Texas - what a game!!
