Points, Plugs

 Someone commented on points, plugs, and condenser in an earlier post.  It took me down memory lane. When I started driving, that was considered a basic tune-up and I learned it at my grandfathers knee.

Every six or seven thousand miles, we would find a convenient shady spot, crack open the distributor and make sure that the points were okay. In my grab-and-go tool bag, I kept a small screwdriver and a point file. You could pick them up anywhere and in a pinch, your lady's emery board would suffice. File the points, set the gap, clean the rotor and inspect the contacts in the cap.

The first electronic ignition I ever owned was on q 1975 Ford that I bought new to go on active duty.  That car was never right, Ford simply had not figured out how to do electronic ignition. That car had a pre-ignition ping that simply could not be tuned out.  From that car and others I have known since, I became convinced that most of the cars from that era were simply pieces of shit. The cars from the 60s were pretty nic and the cars from the 80s were starting to get better, but the cars from the 70s suffered from a number of ailments fueled by rapidly changing technology that was launched too early.

Nowadays even my Briggs lawnmower has good ignition.

Beef Tallow

 I was hosting a lunch yesterday (chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, fried green beans, yeast rolls).  Talking with friends as I cooked the meal, one of my buddies said that his doc was trying to get him away from seed oils and go to more animal fats.

When I was growing up, my mom used white canned Crisco.  Grandma used lard. I keep a little bacon grease around for making roux.

We started talking about lard, and the flavor that it brings to fried foods, then talked about beef tallow.  I have no experience with beef tallow, but I have heard good things. My buddy, JT,  says that he can get it from a wholesale grocer, but has to order 50 pounds.  We decided to split a 50 pound order three ways. He is getting it for $1 a pound,  which seems like a pretty good deal.

If any of y'all have any experience with beef tallow, let me know.

Right To Repair

 John Deere, a giant in the ag sector, was having problems with technology.  Deere did not want to share the diagnostic software to repair their machines, which meant that farmers and third-party mechanics had to load the equipment on a trailer and take it to a dealership.

This caused huge problems for farmers.  Equipment has to run, and repairing it in the field is a lot easier than dragging it to the dealer.  Time is money.  Weather waits for no one.

Evidently, they reached a settlement in the long-running civil suit.  That is good news for everyone involved.

Raisin' Caine

 The Charman of the Joint Chiefs gave a briefing this morning, talking about the Iran mission.  He highlighted some states.  He said that during this operation (and I'm paraphrasing here) US forces consumed "950 thousand gallons of coffee, 2 million energy drinks, and a lot of nicotine". 

Those of us who have served, know that the military runs on caffeine and nicotine. It was true when I was a young tank commander, and I'm gratified to know that it is still true.

Hyperbole

 A lot of people are freaked out about President Trump's Truth Social post from earlier today.  I admit that it seems a bit harsh.

I wish that he had been a little more circumspect.  Threatening to kill an entire civilization in  one night seems a bit over-the-top.  It's dark over there now, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Distraction

 That logistical flex we talked about on Sunday may have been a distraction, designed to draw ground forces away from the main mission of collecting our lost aviator.

We had boots on the ground, no doubt, trying to bring our guys out of harms way.

One story I'm hearing is that at the site of that distraction, US forces left two mementoes for the Iranians to find.  One, a case of MREs, and second, a pair of American flag boxer shorts.

Is that true?  Hell, I don't know, but it makes a great story.

A Fresh Look

 A fresh look at an old friend.  I drank it during college, and it is still a staple on many shelves across the world. How they can produce this bourbon at this price point still confounds me.  It's nothing special, nothing exotic, it simply falls squarely where it should.

I have to go into town tomorrow, and I need to pick up a bottle to put in the shop cabinet.

Flex

 I found this over at Instapundit this morning.

Evidently, the US is building a temporary runway about 50 km from the Iranian city of Isfahan. Ostensibly to fly out the Iranian nuclear material once the US takes possession of it. Isfahan is a large Iranian city, with about 2.2 million population.  The fact that the IRGC can't challenge it is a huge testament to their current ineffectiveness.

This is a huge logistical flex. To build a usable runway while under an active bombing campaign. If the US really wanted to flex against them, they would park a working Burger King on the end of the ramp. Next to the NCO club, with a stripper pole.

Artemus

 We're headed back to the moon, after all these years.  The ship launched on Wednesday, with a crew of four, to circle the moon and come back, testing systems along the way.

You can track the mission here.

Godspeed, Artemus.

In other news, today is Good Friday, a huge day in the Christian calendar.  Fasting and reflection is the order of the day. Sunday, we celebrate the Resurrection, the fact that all of Christianity is based on.

Y'all have a great and blessed weekend.  Celebrate Easter in your own style, and chick on those brave astronauts who are crewing a tiny spacecraft in a vast universe.  They are going only to the moon, but we have to start somewhere.

Pin Oak and Crepe Myrtle

 We have this huge pin oak tree in the front yard.  Some call it a white oak, others call it a water oak, but around here, it's a pin oak.  It's a beautiful tree, but it drops acorns.

When Belle and I moved into the house, we wanted a crepe myrtle in the front yard, so I planted one.  Crepe myrtles are odd, decorative, flowering trees.  When they are young, or when they are stressed, they are spindly.  Some old-time growers would weave the spindly trunks together.  Others would choose the strongest trunk and cull the others.  It's a choice.

Back to my plight.  The pin oak was close enough to the crepe myrtle that acorns would fall amongst the spindly trunks of the crepe myrtle.  Some took root and over the past several years, the oak saplings grew into the crepe myrtle, choking it out.  It looked like hell, and I needed to get a handle on it.  But, I have elevated procrastination to an art form.

Yesterday I hooked the utility trailer to the lawn mower and got out that little chainsaw that I bought in February. Went out in the yard and started doing surgery on those oak saplings. The utility tailer is a 4X10 and over the next hour or so, I loaded it with oak saplings.  I dragged it over to the burn pile.  I was amazed at how muck oak I had cut our of that crepe myrtle.  The trailer was stacked five feet high.

I was also amazed at how capable that little 6" chainsaw proved to be. That little saw had plenty of power and I could wield it like a scalpel. No complaints whatsoever.  The crepe myrtle is unharmed, and the pin oak is feeling decidedly unwelcome.

If you are looking for a little battery chainsaw, click on the link above. This link will take you to the Amazon page.  If your preference is for another type of battery, they have them for Milwaukee, or others.  just use the appropriate search terms.

First Mowing

 The neighbors have been cutting grass since February, but I have wisely abstained until this morning.  The crop of thistles in the front ditch convinced me that today was the say to crank up the zero-turn.  A winters worth of leaves has been mulched.  The thistles have been chastised. 

So begins the mowing season that will last until October.  I need to do a little weed-whacking and spray some herbicide, but I am pacing myself.  There is also a burn pile that needs attention, but it is too dry to burn.

Back Home

 We rolled in from central Texas yesterday before dark. It was a great match.  Your humble scribe had a great Saturday. After 8 rounds, I had only one loss. Then, the combined challenges of age, stamina, arena dust and heat took its toll.  I didn't finish in the money,  but it was close and I have no one to blame but myself. I'm still coughing central Texas arena dust out of my sinuses.

Leaving the arena on Saturday, Belle and I were dog-tired.  She noticed a Burger King near the arena and suggested that we swing through Burker King, pick up some sandwiches and go to the room.  Great Idea. Five o'clock in a Saturday, and there was no one in the parking lot.  I thought that was odd, but went to the drive-through and noticed that the menu board was dark. Then I saw it and laughed.

The darkened menu board had a bullet hole in it. Another dissatisfied customer had registered a complaint. I thought that was funny as hell.  We drove out of the parking lot and went down to Dairy Queen for our sandwiches.

We're home and safe.  It is time to unpack the van and get ready f our next adventure. Three weeks from now, it is Georgia.

Never Quit

 It's time for Texas State, and I'm remembering a song sung by Part Time at the 2015 Texas State

You can find it here.

I'm going to leave it here so that I can find it tomorrow.

Texas State

 In March of 2016, Belle and I went to our first state championship, the Texas State Championship of Cowboy Fast Draw in Fort Worth, TX, We were green as grass, brand new to the Fast Draw game, and we wandered around the Stock Yards, wide-eyed and having fun.

Tomorrow morning, we are leaving for our 11th Texas State.  This one is in Burnet, TX, just south of Austin.  These championships move around, just as they should.  We've been to Fort Worth, Amarillo, Odessa, Silsbee, Houston, and this is our second trip to Burnet.  We really enjoy the Texas State Championship.

Tuesday Tidbits

 I went this morning for a AAA scan (Abdominal Aorta Aneurism).  It is a sonogram to tell if my abdominal aorta is about to spring a leak.   When they scheduled it a week ago, I old then it was a waste of time and money.  I'm okay.  The doc insisted, because he doesn't believe me when I tell him something.  Evidently, this test is VERY fucking important.

So, I went this morning and got the scan done. I was right.  It was a waste of time and money. Scan showed absolutely no problems. It was a wase of my time and your tax dollars.

On another note, I heard that the 82nd Infantry Division (Airborne) just got a warning order. The headquarters elements are moving east with the full division to follow shortly.  That is interesting.

On a more local note, we learned yesterday that our recently retired Sheriff was killed in what is characterized as a hit-and-run.  Rumors abound.  I worked for that man for eight years, and while I did not always agree with him, I always thought his heart was in the right place.  Rest in Peace, Sheriff.

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.