Taco Soup

This is a dump-it-and-go recipe. It works best if you give the ingredients an hour or so to mingle and fit together. It's a favorite of the boys and on a busy Wednesday afternoon makes a quick supper.

Taco Soup

1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb bulk sausage
2 cans red kidney beans
2 cans pinto beans
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 small can diced chili peppers
1 packet taco seasoning
1 packet Ranch dressing mix.

Brown your hamburger and sausage and drain. Dump all cans and mixes on top of the meat. Don't drain anything. Stir it all together and let it simmer for an hour.

Serve over corn chips, garnish with cheese, and/or sour cream.

That's good eating.

Counting to 60

Poor ole Harry Reid is having problems.

First Joe Lieberman says he won't vote for healthcare if it includes a government-run public option. So, they cull the public option out of the bill.

WASHINGTON – Independent Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman says he expects to support the Democrats' health care legislation as long as any government-run insurance plan stays out of the bill.

Now, Roland Burris says he won't vote for the healthcare bill unless there is a government-run public option.

Senator Roland W. Burris, Democrat of Illinois, has vowed that he will not vote for a health care bill that does not include a government-run insurance plan, or public option.

Hmmm. Harry's in a bind. A real bind. A 60 vote bind.

At the same time, the latest Rasmussen report poll shows that public support for the health care plan is dropping.

Fifty-six percent (56%) of U.S. voters now oppose the health care plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats. That’s the highest level of opposition found - reached three times before - in six months of polling.

I'd love to stay and chat with y'all, but I've got to go back to work.

Flat-rockin'

It's flat-rockin' outside. Of course, the soccer teams have decided that they want to play a couple of games in the rain. Grrrr.

I'll be strapping the gun on in another half hour to go watch soccer kids play in the rain.

The main reason I like baseball so much is because it's civilized. No one plays baseball in the rain.

Hunters Stranded

This article is interesting for a couple of reasons.

RESCUERS in Arizona have pledged they are "not going to let anyone die" as they keep searching for up to 30 elk hunters still stranded in heavy snow after a powerful winter storm swept through the state earlier this week.

It seems a powerful winter storm dumped a lot of snow and there are elk hunters stranded in the mountains, but this isn't your average lost hunter story.

"Approximately 25 to 30 hunters are still stranded, with different levels of preparations," he said. "Some need to be taken out immediately...some are ok. Some are in very remote areas....cell phones have helped dramatically, they're calling in locations.

Cell phones, you see. The rescue teams know where these people are. Getting to them might be a problem, but they know where they are. Plus, these guys are hunters, so they're at least marginally prepared to be in the woods. Interestingly, with cell phone coverage like it is, I get better reception on my deer stand than I get in my living room. I've got four bars all over my hunting area, but only two bars at my dining room table.

Last, but not least, check the country origin of this story. We're reading it from an .au sight, which is Australia. From reading US news coverage, I wasn't aware that hunters were stranded in the mountains. If it were two or three hikers lost in the snow, we'd be getting plenty of news coverage, but hunters? Not so much.

Tip of the hunting cap to SayUncle.

Sunday Morning Dawg

What is it that makes dryer sheets a dog attractant? The dog loves them. He'll filch them out of the laundry basket, carry them around, play with them.

He doesn't tear them up, or eat them, but he's forever carrying one around with him and I find dryer sheets wherever I find the dog. So, the picture for the Sunday Dawg features a well-used dryer sheet.



I don't understand what goes on in that dog's head.

Rainy Saturday

I awoke this morning to rain. A steady, even, small-drop rain that soaks everything. I had good intentions of going to the lease and watching a deer that I'd like to convert to venison, but she's in the pine thickets this morning, hunkered down, trying to stay dry.

I guess I'm not dedicated enough, or I've spent enough unproductive hours in a deer stand, or I'm simply not mad at the deer. So, I'm home, unproductive. I have my blue jeans and a cup of coffee and I'm surfing the intertubes. I'm not even particularly upset with our President this week.

I really need to get out on my bench and work on ammo. I have a big pile of empty cases need filling. Then there's the new (to me) .308 I am going to have to work up loads for. There's lots of things I could be doing on a rainy Saturday morning, but I'm not in the mood for any of them.

But, I will give you a picture of the new .308. It's a Handi Rifle. That gizmo on the barrel is a De-Resonator and it came with the gun. It's since been removed and tossed in the odd-parts bin. I don't know what I'm going to do with this rifle, but I know I got a heck of a deal on it and the grandkids are getting older.



When Acidman was alive, he told me that a blogger should post something every day. This post is following his advice.

**UPDATE** I just got a call from my sister-in-law. She and hubby decided to go hunting this morning and went to something we call the Switcher Road stand. The rain stopped briefly at 7:15 and at 7:30 a venison doe walked out. She shot it with her .260 Remington and they were back home by 9:00.

Ya can't kill deer unless you're in the woods with them.

Friday night

It's cold out this evening and a good night to stay indoors. I've had this song going through my head all day long.



I may have to get into the bourbon.

A Tip

I'm just sayin'.

If you have something stolen on Tuesday morning and you realize it within minutes, don't wait until Thursday afternoon to report it to the police. That 48 hours makes a huge difference in our ability to do anything about it.

I'm pretty good, and I'll do what I can, but I'll put as much urgency on it as you.

Boots

Cops wear boots, soldiers wear boots. In my combined careers I've spent thousands of dollars on boots, and I've worn them all. Corcorans, Georgia Boot, GI issue, Tony Lama, Justin, Herman, and Danners. I've worn them all.

I had a blowout today on my boots and my son recommended Bates Lites. I picked up a pair and we'll give them a try.

Lower than Car Salesmen

Politico reports that members of Congress, both House and Senate, rate lower on public opinion polls than car salesmen.

Being a member of Congress rates as the least ethical and honest professions – faring worse than car salesmen by 4 percent – according to a new Gallup poll out Wednesday.

I'd say that there is good reason for that, and it's a bipartisan opinion.

We elect politicians to political office. It's a hazard of the democratic process. Where we err is in letting them stay in office more than two terms.

I'd defer to that anonymous pundit who exclaimed that "Politicians, like diapers, have to be changed frequently – and for the very same reason."

In closing, I'd also defer to the judgment of another great American.

There is no distinctly American criminal class – except Congress.
Mark Twain

I intend to vote against all incumbents in the next Congressional elections.

Cast Bullet Data

I was stumbling around some gun sites earlier today and came upon the GMDR Low Velocity Chronograph Data. If you're a cast bullet guy, any page entitled Low Velocity screams Cast Bullet!

I've spent some time going through it, and I can see that this might be a heck of a resource. They claim that they shot upwards of 50,000 bullets getting the data. Some of it is really interesting.

Chicken Pot Pie

Milady is making chicken pot pie for supper. The way she does it, it's fairly easy. It tastes great and the boys love it.

Here's a picture of the basic ingredients.



Left to right. A pack of frozen mixed veggies, cooked in water with 2 chicken bullion cubes. Two cans of cream of chicken soup. A rotisserie chicken. A big casserole dish, lined with pie crust.

She uses pre-made pie crusts. You could make your own crust, but this is a quick dinner.

Boil your veggies in the chicken broth. Line your casserole dish with a pie crust, then toast the crust in the oven at 350 degrees. Peel the chicken off the bone, then mix your veggies, chicken and add the two cans of cream of chicken to make the filling. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the filling to the toasted bottom crust and cover the pie with a top crust. Bake at 350 until the filling bubbles and the top crust is done.

Here's a picture before the top crust.



Here's one after it comes out of the oven.



Bon apetit!

December 7th

It's important that we remember this day. This day and what it represented formed the basis for my father's generation. All their hopes, dreams, what they were and what they became were based in part on events that occurred on December 7th, 1941.

"I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." Isoroku Yamamoto.

Sunday Morning Dawg

It snowed Friday night in Central Louisiana, a light dusting that would make my northern relatives snort in derision. I myself have lived several winters in locales where snow is a constant presence for months on end. I stayed home on Friday night, preferring the safety of my home to risking fate on the roads with people who have never seen winter precipitation.

Still, the dog has never seen snow. And this feature is the Sunday Dawg, so without further adieu... This shot was taken Saturday morning on the back deck. He's checking it out. Not sure about it.



Then he saw the camera, decided that I might, just might, have food in my pocket and came over to investigate.



He was sorely disappointed that I didn't have any treats for him. He knows better, but hope springs eternal in that dog's mind.

In the Mail

In the mail today, I found a copy of the latest Alliant Reloader's Guide. I use Alliant powder, and even though I've got some loads that I know and love, it's good to have the latest information at hand. The reloader's guide is free, and you can order it at the site linked above.

Of course, those of us who use computers can find the information online. All the powder manufacturers have the data on the interwebs, but it's good to have the print data on hand.

This little book is going on my bench right now.

Snow

It's snowing in Central Louisiana, probably the earliest in the season I can remember. The snow started about the time the school buses ran this afternoon and it's continuing as I type this.

The weather weenies are trying to decide if we're going to get any accumulation. I hope not, but lots of folks are hoping for enough to make a snowman. Good for them.

I'm not going to make any global warming jokes. One of the problems we have is telling the difference between weather and climate. What we're having right now is weather. Weather has very little to do with climate.

I think I'm going to crack open some egg nog, a bottle of bourbon and watch it snow. That's something we don't often get to watch in Louisiana.

Handi Rifle

It's no secret that I've been looking for a Handi Rifle in .30-30 Winchester. I've long been a fan of the caliber and I want to try it with pointy bullets. You can't run pointy bullets in the lever-actions because it's dangerous. That and the fact that my Winchesters don't scope easily. I want to scope a .30-30 and wring it out with the standard .30 caliber bullets we use in the .30-06 or .308. The guys over at the Graybeards Outdoor Forums tell us that the .30-30 turns in exceptional accuracy. Accuracy is what I'm looking for. A rifle in that caliber that's safe with pointy bullets and accurate. I want a .30-30 Handi.

The problem with finding one is that they're made in batches and the distributors are out of them right now. My gun dealer hasn't been able to find one since we started looking before Labor Day and I have a standing order with him. I've told him I want the next one he can find. His distributor has 30 on backorder. Mine is one of those 30.

Yesterday afternoon I had a free hour, so I went over to the gun shop to look around and heckle him about the .30-30. I looked in the racks and there was a Handi standing among the bolt actions. He handed it to me.

It's an Ultra Hunter in .308 Winchester. H&R uses a heavy barrel on those rifles, not a bull barrel, but this isn't a standard sporting taper. The barrel is 22 inches long and should be very stiff. The little rifle seems to weigh between seven and eight pounds. The muzzle has a recessed crown that looks flawless. The trigger is better than many I've seen on Handi-Rifles. This little gun might have had a trigger job, but it feels right, breaking at about four pounds. It's got a laminated stock and the blueing looks like it just came out of the box. Whoever bought this rifle before bringing it to the pawn shop used it very, very little.

I asked him how much and he said $200.00. I told him to give me a 4473.

I plan to play with it a little while, work up some loads with it, both cast and jacketed, then put it in the racks. I'm wondering how it'll do with cast bullets and I'm wondering what it will do with 125 grain GameKings. It's got enough weight that recoil shouldn't be an issue and I'm not looking to load it heavy. It should make a great little grandson or nephew rifle.

Seven Lies

I was reading the Huffington Post, over in the Green section. (Yes, dear readers, I trot over to the left side of the internet sometimes.) Katherine Goldstein posts an article entitled "The Seven Biggest Lies About the Supposed "Global Warming Hoax"

So, I counted the lies. They are standard talking points, easily rebutted. Rather than do that, lets list them in order.

1. Scientists have manipulated data.
2. Scientists had private doubts about whether the world really is heating up.
3. These scientists worked to suppress evidence and deleted emails.
4. Scientists have been working to remove skeptical peers from the climate discussion.
5. These emails are the final nail in the coffin for the idea that humans cause global warming.
6. This reignites the debate about if global warming is real.

They're on a cute little electronic flip chart and as you click the button the next one comes up. The only problem that I see is if you click the numbers and there are six supposed lies, and the article clearly says seven lies.

Can the author not count? Does she expect me to believe her premise when she can't get the number right. For that matter, should I believe any premise if the numbers aren't right?

That's my problem with AGW. The numbers aren't right. If you want to make a rational argument, you've got to get the numbers right.

Roping a Deer

This was forwarded to me by a friend. I can't vouch for the accuracy of the story, but it's funny as heck. It's not my friend's story, this is just one of those emails that make it around the internet from time to time.

I had this idea that I could rope a deer, put it in a stall, feed it up
on corn for a couple of weeks, then kill it and feast on it. The first step in this adventure was getting a deer. I figured that, since they congregate at my cattle feeder and do not seem to have much fear of me when we are there (a bold one will sometimes come right up and sniff at the bags of feed while I am in the back of the truck not four feet away), it should not be difficult to rope one, get up to it and toss a bag over its head to calm it down th en hog tie it and bring it home.


I filled the cattle feeder then hid down at the end with my rope. The cattle, having seen the roping thing before, stayed well back. They were not having any of it. After about twenty minutes, my deer showed up---three of them. I picked out a likely looking one, stepped out from the end of the feeder, and threw my rope. The deer just stood there and stared at me. I wrapped the rope around my waist and twisted the end so I would have a good hold.


The deer still just stood and stared at me, but you could tell it was mildly concerned about the whole rope situation. I took a step towards it, it took a step away. I put a little tension on the rope .., and then received an education. The first thing that I learned is that, while a deer may just stand there looking at you funny while you rope it, they are spurred to action when you start pulling on that rope.

That deer EXPLODED. The second thing I learned is that pound for pound, a deer is a LOT stronger than a cow or a colt. A cow or a colt in that weight range I could fight down with a rope and with some dignity. A deer-- no chance.

That thing ran and bucked and twisted and pulled. There was no controlling it and certainly no getting close to it. As it jerked me off my feet and started dragging me across the ground, it occurred to me that having a deer on a rope was not nearly as good an idea as I had originally imagined. The only upside is that they do not have as much stamina as many other animals.

A brief ten minutes later, it was tired and not nearly as quick to jerk me off my feet and drag me when I managed to get up. It took me a few minutes to realize this, since I was mostly blinded by the blood flowing out of the big gash in my head. At that point, I had lost my taste for corn-fed venison. I just wanted to get that devil creature off the end of that rope.

I figured if I just let it go with the rope hanging around its neck, it would likely die slow and painfully somewhere. At the time, there was no love at all between me and that deer. At that moment, I hated the thing, and I would venture a guess that the feeling was mutual.

Despite the gash in my head and the several large knots where I had cleverly arrested the deer's momentum by bracing my head against various large rocks as it dragged me across the ground, I could still think clearly enough to recognize that there was a small chance that I shared some tiny amount of responsibility for the situation we were in. I didn't want the deer to have to suffer a slow death, so I managed to get it lined back up in between my truck and the feeder - a little trap I
had set before hand...kind of like a squeeze chute. I got it to back in there and I started moving up so I could get my rope back.

Did you know that deer bite?

They do! I never in a million years would have thought that a deer would bite somebody, so I was very surprised when .... I reached up there to grab that rope and the deer grabbed hold of my wrist. Now, when a deer bites you, it is not like being bit by a horse where they just bite you and then let go. A deer bites you and shakes its head--almost like a pit bull. They bite HARD and it hurts.

The proper thing to do when a deer bites you is probably to freeze and draw back slowly. I tried screaming and shaking instead. My method was ineffective.

It seems like the deer was biting and shaking for several minutes, but it was likely only several seconds. I, being smarter than a deer (though you may be questioning that claim by now), tricked it. While I kept it busy tearing the tendons out of my right arm, I reached up with my left hand and pulled that rope loose.

That was when I got my final lesson in deer behavior for the day.

Deer will strike at you with their front feet. They rear right up on their back feet and strike right about head and shoulder level, and their hooves are surprisingly sharp. I learned a long time ago that, when an animal --like a horse --strikes at you with their hooves and you can't get away easily, the best thing to do is try to make a loud noise and make an aggressive move towards the animal. This will usually cause them to back down a bit so you can escape.

This was not a horse. This was a deer, so obviously, such trickery would not work. In the course of a millisecond, I devised a different strategy. I screamed like a woman and tried to turn and run. The reason I had always been told NOT to try to turn and run from a horse that paws at you is that there is a good chance that it will hit you in the back of the head. Deer may not be so different from horses after all, besides being twice as strong and three times as evil, because the second I
turned to run, it hit me right in the back of the head and knocked me down.

Now, when a deer paws at you and knocks you down, it does not immediately leave. I suspect it does not recognize that the danger has passed. What they do instead is paw your back and jump up and down on you while you are laying there crying like a little girl and covering your head.

I finally managed to crawl under the truck and the deer went away. So now I know why when people go deer hunting they bring a rifle with a scope to sort of even the odds.

Junior tells me that the story isn't over. The fellow went down later to the local feed and seed. The fellows there noticed the cuts and bruises and one gent observed. "Damn, young fella, you look just like you tried to rope a deer."

Busy Tuesday

I'm home just long enough to drink a glass of iced tea, charge the radio for a little while, and check email. We've got both soccer and basketball games tonight and I've got to get back to the school.

It sure beats working for a living.