Working in the yard

               Yesterday as Alex and I were heading to the playground, we had stopped, as all good citizens do for the octagon shaped sign.  My Grandson of 3 years commented from the back seat of my pickup, “space ship”. Somewhat surprised I asked where. Alex pointed and I looked. He noted that it was a fat space ship and I agreed. He was looking at the water tower which was about 100 feet above the ground.

               A few days ago, during one of those nice days when it was not too hot nor too cold I removed several large limbs from a tree in the back yard. As these limbs lay in the yard they looked as if they would fill a trailer. When I had removed the small branches and bundled them “per the City of Hewitt’s edict”, and cut the limbs into logs of about 2 foot in length I had a small pile of wood. A cord of wood is supposed to be 4’ X 2’ X 8’.  That is four feet high, two feet wide and 8 feet long. If you purchase wood to burn in the fire place check the 2 foot measurement it is easy to cut everything a few inches short and you get less than you pay for.

               I think I may continue to cut some limbs in the back yard today. I have one tree that needs to come down completely and I like to work on days when it isn’t windy. There are several reasons for wanting a calm day including saw dust in the eyes, yes I have safety glasses but I don’t always wear them. I don’t like to climb on ladders especially when it is windy.

 

Changing the subject;

 

Know when there is a new posting?

I send an email to some readers informing them of new postings.

If you are not on the mailing list but would like to be, send your email address to donaldfplace-post@yahoo.com            I will add you to the mailing.

If a friend wants to be on the list, ask them to email me at

donaldfplace-post@yahoo.com

Please do not send a friends email address for them.

I will be happy to add or delete your name from the list;

Send an email to, donaldfplace-post@yahoo.com              

Subject “add my name” or, “remove my name”

 

Seriously, I don’t want to bother anyone with my blog or emails. It will not bother me to remove your name from the mailing list.          

 

That is it for now, have a nice day!     Don Ford

 

                        

                                                                                                                  

                  

 

Idea for a new Church

               Thanks to everyone who commented on the last posting. I wasn’t surprised that my Ordination was the number one topic for comments.

               Here in Texas we have Cowboy Churches. Now I have never been to a Cowboy Church but they seem to be popping up everywhere. I assume they welcome everyone and I also assume you can wear more casual clothes and possibly a cowboys work clothes.

              The Cowboy Church has started my brain to working. There are all kinds of churches so adding an additional church would seem to be the thing to do. The church I was raised in was sometimes referred to as Holy Rollers. This name, for those of you that have not attended, was a reference to some of the actions that could happen during a meeting.

              I have considered establishing a church for motorcycle riders aka Bikers. The name would likely be something like “Holy Rider Church”. Just think about the name for a while and it may grow on you.

              You might ask, “Are there enough Bikers to attend and support this church”. There was a study done out of The University of the Ford Homestead that showed the population in Texas had 1.37% Cowboys and there are 1.43% Bikers. With those percentages, I would think the “Holy Rider Church” is a valid idea.

               If you have thoughts on this new church venture or if you would like to make a Tax Free Donations please contact me via email.

 

From the ordained brain of                          Don Ford.

All rights reserved; any reproduction or distribution without written permission is strictly prohibited.

 

 

 

                                                                                                                 

                  

 

New Generator is a no go.

               I wanted to get a new generator for the Ford Homestead. The old generator is a 5KW unit and it works every time I have needed it. There have been a few power outages that lasted longer than a couple hours. Short power outages do not require a generator unless that occur at night then you might need some lights and a TV.

               The longer power outages without a generator will allow food in the refrigerator and freezer to spoil. Having a generator allows you to keep the refrigerator and freezer working properly. Some of us think having the TV and Wi-Fi connection is as important as the preservation of food. The generator also allows the charging of Cell Phones and depending on who your home phone service is with (for those of us that have home phone service); they may not work during a power outage. 

               I was hoping to sell my present generator so I brought it to the garage from the shed and Alex helped me clean the dust off. Alex is very helpful when cleaning anything even though he is only three years old next week. Once the present generator was wiped off I checked the oil (it will not run if the oil is low) and the air filter along with the spark plug. Everything was clean and ready to go. I do not keep gas in the unit because it could go bad between infrequent uses.

               The generator now looked almost like a new unit.  I decided to put some gas in it and run it a few minutes. After putting some gas in I opened the gas valve and allowed the gas to enter the gas line through the filter into the carburetor.  I set the choke and turned the switch to run. I slowly pulled the started rope not attempting to start the unit just assuring the gas was in the carburetor.  I was now ready to attempt to start the unit.  One fast pull on the rope and the unit sprang to life (it started, for that one person that did not understand sprang to life). 

               After some serious thought about the new electric start generator and me being on a fixed income I decided that there is nothing wrong with my present generator so I will run the gas out of it and put it back in the shed.

Now that I have saved all that money do I need to think of something else to buy?

 

From the always generating brain of                        Don Ford.

All rights reserved; any reproduction or distribution without written permission is strictly prohibited. 

 

 

 

                

                  

 

I often wish she had escaped!

               For those of you who have read the posting “The Great Escape” you know who I am writing about. Miss Molly has become a real pain in the neck. Every time a door is open Miss Molly makes a run for it and usually succeeds. Once outside she likes to explore. This morning she was exploring in the back yard when the neighbor’s dog lunged at her. She ran for the garage door. Tejas was at the door and in a friendly manner, went to her. Miss Molly hissed and slapped Tejas. Tejas was surprised and looked at me with questing eyes, “why did she do that?”

               These escapes are not once or twice daily but every time you open the door. I am thinking about getting one of those dog collars that can shock the animal, and then when she runs out I can push the button and watch her do a double back flip.

Ok for that one person who thinks I would really do that, you can relax; the collars are too large for the cat.

 

Different subject:

               I have referred to myself as “The Reverend Ford” for years. Recently, someone asked me about the Rev. in front of my name on an email. That started me to thinking. Yes I know it is difficult to believe that I, a retired person on a fixed income could actually think. The brain of retired people clears once in a while and we are able to have thoughts.

               Back to the original thought, I was thinking about my email with “The Reverend Ford “as my signature.  I decided to do something about it.  I went on line and became an ordained minister. Yes I can now preform weddings, funerals and I can preach. I have preached on many subjects all my life so that is nothing new.

 

Different subject:

As many of you know I am “not always right but never left” (NARBNL) .For those of you that do not understand, that comment indicates my political outlook.

OK, get over the fact that I am a handsome older gentleman…

 

Those of you, who are observant, may have noticed that my right side is in the light but the left side has gone to the dark side. Those unfortunate people on the left will be in the dark until such time as they “see the light and move right”.

I know that one person is going to say the dark side is on the right in the photo; I am not talking about the photos political leanings but mine.

 

Ok, enough preaching for now…

 

From the Right, Light side of     Don Ford’s      ordained minister’s mind

 

All rights reserved; any reproduction or distribution without written permission is strictly prohibited.

 

 

 

                        

                                                                                                                  

                  

 

Everyone wants to be appreciated

               A compliment (praise) is appreciated and remembered by young and old alike. Even a grumpy old person will enjoy a compliment. You can see it in the child’s face when they have received praise for an accomplishment.

 

        Praise from almost any source is appreciated and remembered;

• When a manager or supervisor says nice job to a staff member they feel good.
• A lead person saying, “nice job”, may be valued more because it came from an hourly staff member who controls the work in the department.
• I believe the most valued praise comes from a co-worker. When a person, doing the same job as you, looks at your labor and says,   “Wow, Nice Job”, that to me is the ultimate compliment.

        A person doing an average job or less should be approached in a positive manner without false praise. I see you have completed the order but it doesn’t appear to be up to your usual standards...

 

         It is easy to overlook certain people for compliments.

Who are the easy to forget?

They are closest to you; they work beside you, with you and for you every day. 

Family and friends will enjoy positive reinforcement too; whether at work or at home you will receive more benefits from being positive and complimentary than those you compliment.  

 

I want to thank you for reviewing this sermon. You have impressed me with your attentiveness.  

 

                          Have you shown your appreciation today?

 

              

Don Ford

Feb. 22, 2013

 

                                                                                                                  

     All rights reserved; any reproduction or distribution without written permission is strictly prohibited.              

 

Lost and didn't care.

            It was pointed out to me that I may have been lost during my Sunday ride. I had indicated that I rode home on Highway 6 but Highway 6 does not go through Hamilton.  Highway 84 was the road I was on.

            One little error; both highways go to the same place, home.

 

Have a good week. 

 

 

 

                 Don Ford  

 

             

                        

                                                                                                                  

                  

 

A short ride on Sunday

               Sunday is a good name for the day of the ride as the sun was shining brightly. The weather was clear and windy with a predicted high for the day of 72.  My neighbor didn’t ride due to his back hurting and riding on a windy day might not be good for a hurting back.

               Riding alone is ok with me but when I stop to take a break or eat I like to have someone there to talk with. I wasn’t sure how long I would ride since it was supposed to be windy all day. The wind not only blows the bike around it can stir up pollen causing allergies.

               I left the house about 10:00 and headed in the general direction of Valley Mills taking the back roads trying to stay out of the open areas (to avoid the wind). To my surprise the wind did not cause any problems.

               I thought that the Bunkhouse was closed on Sunday so I could not get any BBQ there. I turned to the north and had a destination goal of Glen Rose and Hammon’s for lunch.

               The ride to Glen rose was uneventful and almost no traffic. It is about 80 miles to Glen Rose. Below is a photo of the old Court House in Glen Rose. The flags indicate the amount of wind during the ride.

               The parking lot at Hammon’s was full but I was able to get my bike in next to another motor cycle. The food was good and the lunch break was appreciated.

               After lunch I noticed my gas gage was below half a tank so I stopped to fill up.  I didn’t know how I wanted to ride back but I wanted different roads from the trip up. I got on a rode heading south which would take me through Walnut Grove and Hamilton. I picked up highway 6 at Hamilton and headed for Hewitt. As I was riding behind a pickup, he moved over to the shoulder so I could pass. This is a common courtesy here in Texas so as I passed I flashed my four ways (a way to say thanks).  As luck would have it my four-ways would not turn off.  I rode for probably 3 miles pushing the button for the flashers before they shut off.

               The rest of the ride home was uneventful. I stopped and filled the gas tank at the Wal-Mart and arrive home a few minutes before 3:00.

               Below is a photo of Miss Molly lying in the sun that was coming through the back storm door. She was getting ready to take a warm nap and yes I took a nap also.

 

From the biker mind of    Don Ford

All rights reserved; any reproduction or distribution without written permission is strictly prohibited.

 

 

 

 

                

                  

 

The Great Escape

               By Donald R. Ford      (the “R” stands for many things but mostly being Right)

This is a story about a night time escape from the confines of the “Ford Homestead”.

               It was about dark thirty when I had been relegated to the task of “taking the trash out”. You would think that a retired person on a fixed income would not be expected to do any of this type of manual labor. A man’s home is said to be his castle, and my wife of 43 years has explained that the castle needs to have the trash removed occasionally.

               Being a team player and never wanting to be known as a complainer, I cheerfully took on the degrading task of trash removal. The trash bag was only about half full but since the trash truck would be running on Monday morning  I thought it best to remove the trash.

               I placed the trash bag in the trash cart and started moving it to the curb. As I push the trash cart down the drive way I noticed a white cat under Dave’s vehicle. I assumed it would run as I approached the curb but no this feline was not impressed with my actions. I placed the cart within the prescribed two feet of the curb and stepped away. The stranger was watching me from under Dave’s vehicle. I called to her and she came out. She would walk within a couple feet of me but when I attempted to bend down she would walk away.

               I used my communicator to summon my wife of 43 years. (That means I took the cell phone from my pocket and called Donna on the house phone.) Donna came out in the dark to see this feline stranger.  Donna considers herself a cat person. The stranger would not come to either of us and after getting tired of our efforts to coax her out from under the vehicle the white feline disappeared in the dark.

               Donna and I started back to the house. Donna noted that Miss Molly (our feline) would probably be at the door wanting to exit the house. I explained that she was usually afraid of the trash can that I would be taking back into the house with us and I did not think she would run out the door.

               We opened the door and Miss Molly made her escape into the night. This cat is fast and she was past us and out of the garage in a flash. Out into the dark night she went toward the neighbor’s yard where two dogs were waiting for a cat supper. The dogs were barking which frightened Miss Molly so she turned and ran into our back yard. I had to go inside the house and get some shoes on and a flash light. Miss Molly usually hides in the flowers for a while then goes to the back door and goes back into the house.

               This time she decides to venture forth and explore the area. She went through the fence and along the north side of the house heading for the front yard. The gate on this end of the house is locked so we could not follow. We had to go back around the other end of the house to get to the front yard. Arriving in the front yard both Donna and I had flash lights searching the area for Miss Molly.

               She was hidden very well or she had left the area. Not finding her in front or on the north end of the house we returned to the back yard. Mysteriously she appeared in the back yard. Tejas decided he would help in the search and chased her to the shed.

Tejas and I had a discussion; I thanked him for his efforts and suggested he should go inside the house while we humans attempted to capture the feline escapee. Tejas made some off color comments under his breath but did go inside. Finally we decided that chasing Miss Molly was not working so Donna just stood still and called her. That and a can of cat food got her attention. Captured at last she was returned to the inside of the Ford Homestead.

We have been discussing an appropriate punishment for this feline escape artist. I suggested that each time she escapes we should give her a bath; (cats don’t like to be wet so that would be a punishment.)

Above is the feline “Miss Molly”. Do not allow her peaceful appearance to full you, she is a live wire when she is awake.

 

From the not always right but never left mind of   Don Ford

All rights reserved; any reproduction or distribution without written permission is strictly prohibited.

 

 

 

 

It sounds the same

            Hunting, especially deer hunting requires one to be still and very quiet.

 

               I have sat in deer stands in years past, waiting for that one unsuspecting deer to walk into an open area allowing me to harvest the animal. Harvest is a politically acceptable word for killing. Lots of people don’t mind harvesting but have a problem with killing.

               I personally no longer find hunting enjoyable. I don’t have a problem with those that do hunt but as for me I don’t want to kill anything.

               As I sat in my rocking chair near the garage door on the driveway this morning, the sun was shining on me, the combination of my sweatshirt and the sun kept me reasonably warm.  There was no wind to speak of and I assume everyone had gone to work since there was no traffic on our street.

               To say it was unusually quite would be an understatement. It was eerily quiet which caused me to think about sitting in a deer stand early in the morning. When you are in the country away from homes and roads you expect it to be quiet but sitting in your yard in town it can be an unexpected pleasure.  As I sit there I became aware of all the bird sounds.  There were even a couple crows, off in the distance.

               The neighbor’s dogs were all quiet but in the distance I could hear a dog bark occasionally. These sounds were exactly what I would have expected to hear had I have been deer hunting.

               I must have enjoyed the sounds of nature for about 20 uninterrupted minutes. I was relaxing as I listened to what seemed to be hundreds of bird calls.

               Eventually the peace and quiet was broken by a huge yellow school bus. I was now aware that the sun had gone behind the clouds and I was no longer warm and comfy. I got up and came into the house and watched Scooby Doo with Alex.

 

From the peaceful mind of            Don Ford

All rights reserved; any reproduction or distribution without written permission is strictly prohibited.

 

                                                                                                                  

                  

 

Feeling good again!

            We may be going to survive but is has been and still is a long process.

 

Tejas, my constant companion and confidant, was telling me I should get out of my recliner and do something. It seems that Tejas thought I had been too sedentary. I had to agree with him, I have been doing almost nothing.  I decided I will do some work in the yard today but as luck would have it there is rain in the forecast. Everyone knows I would melt if I were to go out in the rain.

               What do you mean, “I would float”, and that is not very nice. There is always someone that wants to make an ugly comment.

               My wife of 43 years and I went to Austin yesterday to visit with our son and his wife. Patrick was 42 last Monday so we were celebrating the birthday somewhat belated. We had a nice visit and a very good lunch at the Long Horn restaurant.

               We arrived back at the Ford Homestead early enough to rest a few minutes before the game. We watched most of the game; it became an interesting game starting the second half.  About 2 minutes before the game was over I went to sleep. I did not know who won and actually did not care who won. There were a few commercials that I considered good but most were not outstanding. 

               Sitting here focusing on the computer I have allowed my coffee to get cold. Thank goodness it was coffee that I made and not Star Bucks. Being on a fixed income I would not want to waste any Star Bucks coffee.

               Well, I guess I need to get up and try to find some yard work to do before it rains.

 

Have a good week.

 

From the “I am feeling better” mind of     Don Ford

All rights reserved, any reproduction or distribution without written permission is strictly prohibited.