Is it theft 10/14/2019

            If you find a pecan in the street that fell from a neighbor’s tree, is it theft to pick it up and keep it for your own consumption. What if you are a retired person on a fixed income and picking up that pecan might mean the difference between going to bed hungry or having something, even though it is small, to eat?

            Tres had asked if we could go for a walk. I, being very tired did not want to participate in any form of an exercise program, but knowing that the Tres needed to pee, I mean urinate on a few mail boxes, I decided it would be best to give in. We walked up the street, reaching the top we turned and headed down the street. We always try to walk on the side of the street so we would be facing traffic, if there were any traffic.

            Walking on the same side of the street comes with one particular problem for the senior people. As anyone who is the least bit observant knows, streets are convex in nature. For that one person, convex is the opposite of concave. Being convex helps remove water from the street when, or if it rains.

            I remember being in a science class and the teacher was talking about a magnifying glass he had and that the glass was convex. He then explained the difference between convex and concave, and that is how I learned the difference.

            You explain something to me and I will likely remember it. Things I read do not go into my memory bank. Yep, I can read, but I don’t learn by reading.

            The street being convex means that your feet and ankles are slightly leaning. This is not a problem for the occasional stroll, but if you do it regularly it can affect feet and ankles. Consider occasionally walking on the other side of the street if it is safe.

            As the Tres and I walked under the neighbors pecan trees, we observed many smashed pecans along with a few that were still whole. Tres suggested I pick up some of the whole pecans, which I did. We continued on down the street where we found several more pecans, from the same neighbor’s tree, we also picked them up. It rained the other day and the rain water washed these pecans down the street depositing them in a couple locations.

            Returning to the Ford Homestead, I had a pocket full of pecans. I am glad I was able to convince the Tres to go for a walk.

            If they didn’t want others to pick up the pecans, they should pick them up!

 

 

Didn’t have to go to bed hungry!

 

Senior pecan snatcher; Don Ford

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Neighborhood store 10/12/2019

               Before we get into this soon to be wonderful presentation of an old memory, I would like to comment on the Texas weather. Thursday it was 90 degrees and I complained about the heat. Friday morning it was 48 degrees and I complained about the cold. Thursday the air conditioner was on and Friday the furnace was on!

 

            Now let us get to the essence of this commentary.

 

            I was standing in the kitchen with nothing to do, it was too cold outside to do anything, but maybe it would not have been so bad outside if the wind was not blowing at hurricane strength. Standing there all alone, as my wife had just left me, for some reason my senior brain began to function. Now in truth, my brain had actually functioned a couple times this morning, so this was more or less a restart.

 

            For some reason, I harkened back to a time when I was 10 or 11 years old. We lived out in the country at the bottom of snake hill. Why do you think it was called snake hill? You are correct, it was name snake hill by the locals due to the unusually large rattle snake population, or maybe it was due to the fact that there were at least 3 big curves on this hill before you got to the top. You pick which reason you think is correct.

            From our home to Charlie Langston’s home, was about three quarters of a mile. The Langston’s lived on the other side of Juden Creek, by that I mean you had to cross a low water crossing to get to their home. There wasn’t any grocery stores within a couple miles of the Langston’s home. I would ride my bike down to Charlie’s home and we would goof around sometimes playing in the woods, other times in the barn, or just messing around in the yard.

            I remember one day we wanted a soda but there was none at the Langston’s home. Charlie’s mother gave us some change and we went to a paint store that was located fairly close to our home near snake hill. We walked from the Langston’s home down their gravel driveway to the creek. We walked along the paved road for over a half mile. We crossed the bridge at the creek, passed the small building that housed the mattress company, and arrived at the paint store. The paint store was the front of the owner’s house. We purchased two bottles of soda. We had to drink them there, as we did not have enough money to pay the deposit for the bottles. We then walked back to Charlie’s house. 

            My points are, kids were allowed to do a lot of things in the olden days, without an adult being near, and small stores were often the front of someone’s house.

           

            If you just happened to be as old as this senior person is, you most likely remember the neighborhood stores. These small stores would be attached to the owner’s home. These neighborhood stores were basically every few blocks. They had the basics available. Heck, I had an uncle who had one of these stores. I doubt that they made very much money, but I guess they sold enough to stay in business.

            When we lived in Smelter Ville there were two neighborhood stores at the end of our street. Yes there were larger stores in town, but they were not close to anyone home, and people could shop both either type store, depending on their need. If they need one or two items, they could go to the neighborhood store. If they need groceries for the week, they go to the larger store. Shopping centers and huge grocery stores that had a little bit of everything and advertised better prices, put these smaller stores and neighborhood stores out of business. 

I have to go three blocks away from the homestead, to get to a grocery store today, donut shop is two blocks away.

 

Yes, seniors have a difficult life!

 

Senior retired non shopper; Don Ford

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Have you been conned 10/11/2019

            I guess that title line sounded a little odd. Could I really be conned, or is this senior person so observant and aware of situations around him, that he is considered, “Con proof”. Are any of us truly con proof?

            Yesterday, as I was relaxing in the Ford’s ole recliner, just before I closed my eyes, I had set my semi smart phone to alarm in 15 minutes. I have found that a short nap is very restorative for this ole senior person. (That may be the first time I have ever used the word restorative, does it make me sound smart?) When I awoke, I realized that my neighbor was mowing his yard. The weather people had predicted cold rainy weather for the next day, so I decided to try and keep up with the neighbors. I mowed the front yard.

            After mowing, I then removed a dead limb from one of the red oak trees. The limb was about 18 feet above the ground. I grabbed the Ford’s ole pol saw, it is 14 feet long, and I was able to cut it without being on a ladder. It was a fairly big limb and it broke into a bunch of small pieces when it hit the ground.

            This limb was in a location which is directly above where the Ford’s CEO usually placed an outside Christmas tree. Had it have fallen on the Christmas tree, it would have destroyed the tree, and I would have been in trouble, no food for a month!

            I was able to clean up the debris from the limb and also move the main body of the limb to the trailer in the back yard. It was a lot of work, but you know that senior retired people work tirelessly.

            Before that one person asks about the title line, we are expecting to get a fair amount of pecans from the Ford’s ole pecan tree this year. We got zero last year. We hope to be conned this year. I have a foto of some cons on the tree. Click to enrich your viewing experience!

                                     

            We received 2 inches of rain here at the Ford Homestead last night, but when I looked outside this morning it appeared to have not rained, as there was no water standing and the cement drive way was totally dry. Rain gage showed 2 inches. The ground must have soaked the water up.

            Also it is kind of cool here today, 49 degrees per my smart phone. I have long pants on and a long sleeved shirt. I even wore a hat when I took the Gabi to school this morning. 

The weekend cometh, be safe and relax!

Hoping to be conned; Don Ford

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Fall Decorations 10/09/2019

          As the reading public and our neighbors know, my favorite spouse of half a century enjoys decorating the Ford Homestead and yard. On the front porch there is a bench kind of like you might see in a church. My spouse has placed some decorations on the bench which consist of fall colored flowers, and a pumpkin or two.

          As I was picking some sticks up from the front yard I noticed these decorations that seemed to have an interesting theme. I have a photo to show you, click if you want to enhance the decoration. May your decorations be colorful and alive!

 

My decorating genius; Donna Ford      

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What we want 10/08/2019

            What is it that most of us want, other than being healthy, wealthy and wise? Most of us want to have friends, we want to be considered as friendly. Although I have covered this subject in the past, it came to mind again, so here I go preaching, I mean teaching!

            If you are smart, learn to listen. Hopefully someone will listen to you.

 

            Moving from that subject to another, as the Tres and I walked this morning, more than an hour prior to sunrise, I was surprised by a bird that started making a very loud sound. Then another bird started making a loud noise. They seemed to be in the trees that we were walking under. The noise continued until we were about 100 feet away. I assume they were warning all the birds in the area that a silly senior person with a big dog were in the area.                    

            Back at home, a cup of real coffee in hand, I went into the ford’s garage to acquire a hooded sweat shirt to keep my senior body warm in the cold weather. Yep it was so cold that Tres had asked for a jacket. Even though the cold weather was crippling, I was able to sit on the Ford’s swing and sip on the coffee. As I sat there I heard someone’s cell phone ringing. The sound seemed to come from across the street. The phone rang several times but I did not see anyone. I kind of assume it was my neighbor out behind his home. Still, that was a long way to hear a cell phone ring.

 

            I plan to go get my license for the truck this morning. I plan to try the local HEB first then if I can’t get them there I will need to drive down town.

            You are correct, ole senior people are always on the go!

 

May someone listen to you today!

 

Senior professional non-listener; Don Ford

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Flag 10/07/2019

            After I took my morning pull, I refer to it as a pull and not a walk due to Tres pulling on the lead. In truth, he pulls mostly during the first few minutes of the walk, and then he lets up. Anyway, the pull / walk completed, I was sitting on the Ford’s kind of new swing contemplating world issues. The wind was blowing fairly hard, and temperature was at 63 degrees. Wow, a cool morning for a change. The cup of real coffee was much appreciated!

            For some reason, I thought of the American Flag and how it could be blowing in this breezy weather, although it was more than an hour before sunrise. I then harkened back to a time over half a century ago when I was stationed at Fort Lewis Washington. I believe I was in basic training at this time. It was close to the end of the day when the drill Sargent had everyone fallout from the barrack’s and form into platoons. They then marched our company to an area where the American Flag was flying.

            Once our company was formed facing the flag, the order was, “Stand at ease”. There was four soldiers, not from our company, standing near the flag pole. These soldiers would bring the flag down at the appropriate time.

            Our company was called to attention! The order to, present arms was given! They began to lower the flag. As the flag was lowered I felt very proud to be an American, and in the military.

            All that said there was something else that happened during that flag lowering. There was a busy road that passed by the flag pole and as the flag was being lowered, cars stopped on the road, military personnel got out of their vehicles. Standing beside their vehicles on the roadway they saluted the Flag.

            That is one of the old memories that I want to keep remembering.

 

            Different focus:

            Yesterday (Sunday) after returning from brunch, my spouse open the front door and discovered a box laying on the porch. She immediately brought it to me as she was concerned that it might be a bomb, I mean she thought it might be my new DVR. I quickly opened it and yes we have received the new DVR. I promptly took my after brunch nap, and then installed the new DVR.

            I can now sit here and see what’s happening outside. I am happy again. I had replaced 5 cameras when I installed the new DVR. There are three that should be replaced as the color is not good on them and one has reduced night vision.

            We did not get any rain from the cold front that came through but the cooler air is nice. I feel as if I need to inform you, the reading public, that my spouse of 5 decades had a hooded sweat shirt on as she sat outside this morning. She is totally acclimated to the Texas weather.

            Texans, and naturalized Texans, are allowed to complain about how hot it is, and the first day it cools off, complain about how cold it is.

Honor the flag and those who protect it!

 

Sargent Ford reporting for pay sir: Don Ford

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Garage or yard sale 10/06/2019

            I have noticed certain actions and reactions of those who go to a yard sale.

First, they do not usually park in a manner that normal people would park. It seems as if they are in a hurry, and one end of their vehicle is further out in the street than it should be.

Second, they quickly exit the vehicle, but slow down as soon as they step away from the vehicle. They want to appear to not care, and appear as if they really don’t what to be there. If there is a male and female, the male will try to look as if he had to come, and don’t want to purchase anything. In fact, he is shopping just as much as the female.

Third, if he / she sees something they want they will walk past it, only giving it a slight glance. After they have looked at a couple other items they will ask, “How much for that gig widget”? They expect you to drop the price some from whatever you have on it. Whatever you say they will smile and continue looking as if they are not interested. In a minute or so they will make you an offer, about half of what you had told them. Don’t take it, they are interested, you got them if you just stand your ground.

Fourth, if they find a couple items they will make you an offer. You then need to decide, do you want to get rid of the items or stand your ground and try to get your price. Most people give in and take the offer.

 

            Suggestion; don’t have a yard sale, give it to a charity. If the money is that important, get a receipt and write it off on your taxes.

 

Those who go to yard sales or odd!

 

Non yard sale person; Don Ford

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Guard duty 10/05/2019

            This posting consists of one photo.

           

            Guarding the Ford Homestead, or listening to other dogs!

            Senior dog trainer; Don Ford

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