F-35 Damaged

 I see that an F-35 was damaged this weekend by hostile fire.  The pilot is fine. Everyone is okay.

The pearl-clutches are wondering how this happened?  The F-35 is stealthy, invisible, invincible.  No, it's not.  It's an aircraft. It's a fine, technologically advanced aircraft, but it is still just a metal tube.

There is still a thing called the Golden BB, and it still comes into play.  Basically, if the enemy throws enough crap into the sky, a plane will inevitably run into some of it. The Golden BB has been around forever, and aviators know about it. Eventually, some sonofabitch gets lucky.

The pilot is okay, the airframe can be repaired.

Chuck Norris

 I learned yesterday of the passing of Chuck Norris.  He was certainly an icon. A proud US veteran, a movie and TV star,  He played larger-than-life roles He supported the troops, traveling to unnamed battlefields to entertain them.  He did it all with self-deprecating good humor. He celebrated the absolutely absurd memes that followed him, understanding that the fans needed to laugh.

He counted to infinity, twice.

He was in all the Star Wars movies.  He was The Force.

Chuck didn't die.  The Earth just moved into a lower plane of existence.

Rest in Peace, Chuck.

Spring Time

 Yeah, I know, it's not till tomorrow, historically.  But, according to Google, the vernal equinox is today. Regardless, here in sub-tropical Louisiana, it's been spring for a week or so.  The oaks are budding, along with the pecan trees.  It's spring.

I took the time this morning to put a couple of screws in an outdoor gate.  That should last another 20 years, barring hurricanes. I also changed the pool pump over from winter to summer mode. Cleaned filters, gave everything a good backwash.

Last night, Belle without prompting, flipped the hall thermostat from heat to cool.  We're in that time of year where the heat may be on in the morning, but the AC is on at night. I have noticed that the neighbors are starting to mow grass, but they are fanatics. They hail from suburbia, where a manicured lawn is a source of pride. I'm still a country boy, where grass is something that the cattle eat.

I know that my friends up North are still in the grip of winter, but down here, summer is just around the corner.  We down here still have a pre-Easter cool snap to get through, but after that, summer will come on with a vengeance.

Fractured

 This, from my buddy Termite, who is in the oil industry and (unless I am mistaken) is currently riding an oil rig somewhere in the Gulf.

WTI crude is $95, Louisiana light crude is $98. Western Canadian is $89. Mexican Basket is $92. Meanwhile, Brent is $108, Dubai is $135, DME Oman is $153. https://x.com/zerohedge/status/2034035587464761706/photo/1 This article is very interesting. https://gcaptain.com/the-hormuz-hypothesis-what-if-the-u-s-navy-isnt-in-a-hurry-to-reopen-the-strait/

Yeah, if you follow the links, you will learn that the Strait of Hormuz is a vital lifeline in the global oil market.  When you have a rogue, terroristic regime causing havoc with global shipping, it makes sense that prices are going to fluctuate wildly. 

Many of you don't remember the oil crunch of the late 1970s.  We here in the US had high prices, rationing, gas lines, and severe shortages.  That was Iran, too.  At that time the United States was not energy independent.  We actually relied on Mid East oil for our daily driving.

It could be a whole lot worse, but if we get the Iran problam solved, it could get a lot better.

Hummers

 Talking with a lady at the grocers this weekend, she mentioned that she had hummingbirds on her feeders.  I came home and hanged a feeder. on Saturday.

This morning I saw the first one, a little green buzzer taking advantage of the free sugar water. Winter might not yet be over, but the first hummingbird has arrived on my acre and I'm glad to see it.

Chili Tuesday

Awoke to a light frost this morning, and Belle decided that she had some hamburger meat she needed to cook and today was perhaps her last chance to make chili this season, so she made a big pot of chili.  That works for me.  What we didn't eat today, we'll recycle tomorrow as Frito Pie.  It won't go to waste.

I'm finishing up reloading ammo for Texas State next week.  Yeah, I know, I should have done this in November, but procrastination is a virtue.  I started a couple of weeks ago needing to reload roughly 7000 rounds, and today I'm within 700 rounds of being finished.  I'll be done by the weekend, even if my schedule in interrupted by some sort of catastrophe.  Here lately, I careen from one catastrophe to another. Who know what tomorrow might bring.

For example, last week I took the dawg to a groomer.  He's a little Lhasa Apso, named Benji.  I swear, that dawg is a reprobate.  I have owned good dogs, and he is not one of them.  So, this dawg is at the groomer, the same groomer he's had for four years, and she calls me.  The dawg is having seizures.  Belle goes into a six-foot hover and we go get the dawg.  The groomer tells Belle that the dawg had three seizures.  He's half groomed.

A half-groomed Lhasa is a pitiful sight, but Belle snatches him up and heads to the veterinarian.  Roughly $300 later, we find out that the dawg is an epileptic. He has to take medicine twice a day. I have to administer it to him. He'll growl at Belle, but he knows better than to growl at me.

I love dogs, I really do. I have had dogs my entire life.  But I will not tolerate a dog who thinks that he is the Alpha on my property. Every dog understands that there are rules in the pack, and I am the Alpha. I will give scratches and treats and regular kibble, but I do not tolerate growling or snapping.  

At any rate, I have a dawg who is an epilep, and I have to give him medicine twice a day.  Belle loves him, but I think he's a reprobate.  I guess he and I are okay, because I'm a bit of a reprobate myself.

That's what I'm dealing with right now.

Back To Flannel

 We had a cold front blow through last night.  Barely worth mentioning. A little rain, a little thunder, but the temps were in the mid 70s yesterday and this morning we're in the low 40s. So, I'm wearing flannel this morning. I know that our friends in the Midwest got damaging winds and tornadoes, and our friends up North got snow.

So, I'm out in the sop with the heaters lit to break the chill.  That heater I bought in February is proving its worth.  Easy to light, easy to move around, it sips propane.  Belle is a fan. She thinks it is just the best.

Belle wants ribs for lunch, so I have taken a rack out of the freezer. I'd best start figuring out what the sides will be.