Thursday, December 31, 2015

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

~ Norman's Steps- Circa 1987 ~

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Beautiful horses.

Monday, December 28, 2015

Well, her name was Maria, she came from Bajia,
she had a passion for diamonds and gold.
She done broke every heart, in Puerto Vallarta,
by the time she was eighteen years old.

"Falling In Love For The Night"
The Charlie Daniels Band

Sunday, December 27, 2015

What do you even do with these? I try my darndest
to use them and they just keep multiplying. They
should just do away with pennies I'm thinkin'.

Saturday, December 26, 2015

~ Reason Number 129 Why Moms Are So Special ~
Annual Christmas Rice Chex Mix.

Friday, December 25, 2015

~ Merry Christmas - 2015 ~

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Here is a cake that we broke out on Christmas Eve. This
thing was packed with fruit and chocolate and cream and was
SO good. This picture cannot capture it's velvety
fruity chocolaty creamy goodness.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

 
I'm not sure if this feather configuration at the Indian
Store is for some sort of ceremony or just a decoration
or what, but it is something to behold.

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

This is from my 2012 visit to the Gene Autry Western
Heritage Museum in Griffith Park, California. This section
of the museum had a simulated soundstage made up like
a street from a western movie. In each of the windows were
displays related to movies. Props, stunt work, costumes.

And although many of these items are still on display
at the museum, I'm sad to say that this "set" no longer
exists. It was 86'd during a remodel several years back.

Monday, December 21, 2015

Christmas is beginning to show
up around the Ranch.


On Christmas Eve/Day this neat floating candle
will be surrounded by something more appropriate.
This was a test. This was only a test.

Sunday, December 20, 2015

We have had some rain. It has been nice, except for
one thing... Many times after it rains, very strong winds
come about. Very strong winds kind of freak me out.

Saturday, December 19, 2015

 
"Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation" on Blu-ray. I liked the
last one a hair better, but what can I say? Great stunts, fun story,
a superb villain and best of all, Tom Cruise. I had to have it.

Friday, December 18, 2015


I bought "Pacific Rim" on DVD for $3.99. I wasn't ever
going to buy this, but for that price I will give it a go.
You know what? This movie kept me engaged pretty
much the entire 131 minutes. Yeah, I know... stuff was
predictable and all, but truth be told, and hush hush on
this, I think I actually enjoyed Pacific Rim more than
2014's "Godzilla". Totally worth a watch at this price.

Lot's of great kaiju action.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

 
This is a Christmas card that I received from a friend.
She always sends me beautiful Disney cards.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Eight Maids a-Milking.
Moooooooo!

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

This house burned a few months ago.
That's all I know right now.

Monday, December 14, 2015

Teacup Ride at mini golf.
The teapot is a nice added touch.

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Here is a framed poster I bought at Blockbuster (the movie
rental store) a few years ago. Not the best repro in the world
but it was only about $9.99. It is telling me to get ready for
the release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" on Friday.

In reality, as much as I am looking forward to TFA, I won't
be seeing it for some time to come. I am not going until the
crowds are down to about nothing. So, a few weeks or so
after the opening, I will be there.

When "Star Wars: A New Hope" was released in 1977 I had won
tickets from an L.A. radio station to see it's opening up in Westwood
or on Wilshire or something. Shortly after that I went with a friend to
see it in a theater on the 20th Century lot. That was a near perfect
showing. I had also won Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life
album. I still have the album.

Anyway, I hope that The Force Awakens is a great adventure.

Saturday, December 12, 2015

I bought this owl Christmas ornament for my mom.
He is soft like mink and so cute that I had to bring
him home. I put him on the fireplace mantel and I am
going to wait for her to notice him. This could take
weeks. She never even noticed the rat I put up there
for the Halloween season. The rat sat there for two
months because even I forgot he was there.

I will dust Mr. Owl in the dark of night when everybody
sleeps so I will not call attention to his presence.

Friday, December 11, 2015

A fancy light fixture. I much prefer kerosene lanterns.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

This guy I just call the "Devil Guy". He is from my
son's monthly Loot Crate and I have no idea who
the "Devil Guy" really is. And he is totally
probably not a "devil guy".

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

I have said for years and years and years that Garth Brooks has
done a lot to help destroy traditional country music. But just
between you and I, there are one or two songs *cough cough
Low Places cough cough* that I enjoy. All I have to do is get past
the achy breaky boot scoot your boogie aspect of it all. So I bought
this "The Hits" CD. Let's keep this purchase on the down low.


The best part of  today's transaction was finding "Appaloosa" on
 Blu-ray. I have been looking for this for a decent price for months.
 Today at FYE it was "Buy One Used Get One Used for $1.99".
Appaloosa. $1.99. SCORE. Appaloosa is a great movie that not
many folks appreciate. Nice interaction between two business
associates/friends, great shooting sequences, great hardware,
leather and scenery.

We will just kind of leave the Renée Zellweger thing alone.

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

You have to give some folks a lot of credit...


...for letting everybody know where they stand.

Monday, December 7, 2015

Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie.
There was a time when Angelina and I were not the
best of friends. But then I saw her in a movie or two
and I ended up pretty much liking her. And Brad? I
like him. He has purdy eyes. Anyway, I just kind of
hope that this "The End" stuff is not true.
And that's the lesson for today.

Sunday, December 6, 2015

What is better than a brand
new pair of Levi jeans?


I will tell you what is better. A brand new pair of
Levi jeans and a brand new hat is what.


Yep. I went over to Boot Barn armed with my coupons
and bought a new Milano brand hat.


Larry Mahan Hat Collection, made in Texas, U.S. of A.
I have never had a Milano brand hat. Larry Mahan
(of the "collection" part) is a "former" rodeo champion.


10X straw goodness.


Great hatband. One might even say it is cute,
if one were to use words like cute for a hatband.


This shape is different than any of my other hats. It is just a hair
too big so I will be putting some lining in the band to tighten it
up a bit on my noggin. Best part about today is that I used my
thirty dollars in rewards taking some of the sting out of the price.
This hat is relatively expensive.

I have another five dollar coupon. I see turquoise earrings in my future.

Saturday, December 5, 2015

 Before I got a job that totally interferes with my personal
life, I used to plan Academy Award parties for my family.
I would print out the ballots, we would keep tallies during
the ceremony and at the show's end the person with the most
correct choices would win a prize.

The above shows a photo of the envelope containing that year's
winnings. When the show was over we would have our own
ceremony with an official reading of the contest rules and to
announce the winner and rejoice and whine about losing and
generally have great guffaws. I believe that this year's envelope
held a $20 bill and some other little things.

One contest that I never got to do was to have everybody guess
who they thought would win, and then when it was all over, spring
upon them that the most guesses WRONG would win. I might still
do that someday.

Anyway... It used to be a lot of fun.

Friday, December 4, 2015

I wish I could say that about me. But I can't.
But I try. I try hard most times. But so far, it ain't me
too much. I will keep trying.

From the Boot Barn holiday catalog.

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Meet me at The Hideout.
The password is "Oklahoma".

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Seems about the right time of year for a picture of a
basket of pine cones that we have out back here someplace.

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Did you ever have one of those days where everything
seemed to go just right. I took this picture of a Sam's
Diet Cola that was on the top shelf and just too far back
for me to reach. It seems that this is not one of those days.

But wait!


On the shelf... just below the diet sodas... a cane! A tool!
A reacher! What are the odds?! It IS one of those days!
I was to have my diet soda after all. Ahhh, sweet life.