Two Things

 The big political argument this week is rather specious.  A bunch of well-meaning Democrats came out with a video that reminds enlisted members of our military that they are not required to obey unlawful orders.  That is true, as the oath of enlistment spells out.

“I, ____________________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice”. 

Patriots were outraged.  While it is true that our military members can refuse unlawful orders, it is also true what President Trump pointed out, that sedition is punishable by death. 

That is also true.  Sedition is considered a bad thing in military service. One can be hanged, or shot, for sedition.

Both sides of this argument are telling the truth.  No military member is required to follow an unlawful order.  And sedition can get you shot.

Both sides are being silly, and I'm glad I could clear that up for you.

Equal Opportunity

 Because those porch-pirate videos keep populating my feed, I am learning things about those miscreants who think it is okay to steal from others.  There is no demographic.  Old, young, skinny fat, well-dressed or tacky.

What surprises me is the outrage they inevitably exhibit when the trap is sprung.

Or, I'm all wrong and these are staged simply for the clicks and entertainment.

The parish (county) where I reside has its problems, but locally, porch-pirate doesn't seem to be a concern.  Perhaps it is our affinity for the 2nd Amendment and our general loathing of thievery. I'm not saying that I would shoot a thief, but depending on the details of the encounter, it is certainly an option.

Frying Turkeys

 I'm seeing a bunch of Turkey frying videos on my feed and the one thing they never cover is how much oil to put in the pot.

That depends on your pot and the size of the turkey.  Once you have chosen your oil, and your turkey, it's time to prep the turkey and make sure that the bird will not overflow the pot with the hot oil.

The turkey must be fully thawed.  Please, God, do not drop a frozen turkey into hot oil. It will explode and at a minimum, a trip to the Emergency Room will be necessary. Once the bird is thawed, season it however you will.  Inject it, or rub it, or whatever.  It's your bird.

The way I was taught to do it was to test it before you lit the burner.  Simply put the bird in the pot, add oil until it covers the bird, then take the bird out.  Then light your burner and heat the oil to the desired temp.  When putting the bird into the hot oil, go slowly. Painfully slowly. Wear gloves and take your time.

Let the turkey fry 3 minutes per pound.  A 12-pound bird takes 36 minutes.  After frying, let it rest for 30 minutes before carving.

Bon apetit.

Making Arrangements

 While we were off shooting this weekend, we got word that my mother had died. While it was unexpected, it was not totally unexpected.  You know it's cooing, but you are never really ready for the news.

She led a good life and I'm convinced that she is at peace.  She wanted to be cremated and that is going to take a few days, but there are still arrangements that have to be made.  Belle and i will go to the funeral home this morning.  She pre-planned her funeral several years ago and I'm going just to review the plans and try to insure that her final wishes are honored.

I'm okay, I really am.  We lost Dad on 2007 and we had Mom until Friday afternoon. They taught us how to live, and they showed us how to die.  Death is part of life, that is just the way it is.

Mom's favorite holiday was Thanksgiving, and her Thanksgiving menus were legendary. For the past several years I have hosted Thanksgiving at my place with Mom in attendance as the family matron.  That is probably when the grief will kick in hardest for me, not having her at the table.

So now, if you will excuse me, I have to play out the final chapter of an absolutely remarkable life.

Good Shoot

 We just finished up the shoot in Mobile, AL and we are ensconced in the hotel room. The host put on a very good shoot at his home range.  Hats off to the local club, Benders Bandits  Good shooting, good food, good people, who could ask for more.?

Your scribe, known here as PawPaw, is known as Major D in the CFDA.  We all have an alias, and because I am a retired US Army Major, and because that is what my troops called me during Desert Storm, I answer to that alias reflexively.

Today, I came in 7th place by the simple expedient of hitting the target.  In this game, one cannot miss fast enough to win. You gotta hit the damned target.

Not to shabby for an old, fat man.  We will head home in the morning.

Prepping Guns

 Belle and I are leaving tomorrow morning for a shooting competition in Mobile, AL on Saturday. I spent this morning getting the guns ready. A Colt SAA has 10 screws on the exterior of the gun.   I found at least one loose screw on each of the guns we're taking.  Nothing destroys confidence like having a gun come apart on the firing line.  It really throws off your timing.

Now, the guns are clean and tight, the ammo is packed and I'm working the list. Boots, guns chairs. Luggage, update the GPS. The list is fairly long, but we've been doing this for years.

This is a very minor competition, a Jackpot Shoot at a local club.  Those are normally the most fun, because there is less competitive stress.  Just people having fun. What I enjoy about these local shoots is getting to see folks I don't normally get to see.  It's like going to a family reunion with people we actually like.

Red Beans

 With this cool weather, it's time for a pot of beans. I use Camellia brand, I've learned to trust them over the years. I've been using them for 60 years and I've never found a piece of gravel in them.

In other parts of the country, it is pinto beans, or white beans, but in Louisiana, it's red kidney beans.  I've cooked them every way you can imagine.  I've used all sorts of sausage, salt pork, bulk breakfast sausage, ham, or anything pork.

These days, my recipe is simple.  Get out the Crock pot. Rinse your beans, cut up a pound of good sausage.  Drop the beans ad sausage in the Crock pot with a little salt and ten cups of water. One pound of beans, one pound of sausage, ten cups of water.  For two pounds of beans, 16 cups of water.  Put the lid on the Crock pot,  Set it on low, and go to bed.  When you get up in the morning, give them a stir.  At lunch, make a pot of rice.

Yesterday as I was prepping the beans, I realized that I had a half-rack of ribs left over from lunch.  I dropped that in the bean pot along with the sausage. This morning, I fished it out, removed the bones and shredded the pork. It will be just fine and cleaned up a leftover that I didn't want to deal with.

If I'm using bulk sausage, I brown it first. If you want to use an onion, dice it fine and drop it in the pot. For cheap, easy fixings, a pot of beans is hard to beat. I'm going to feed six folks today for less than $10.

Red beans and rice.  It's what's for lunch.