Categories
fishing Life outdoors retirement

Fishin with Family

Went fishing yesterday for the first time in the New Year. My kinda fishing trip, don’t have to go far and don’t stay long, just a couple miles and a couple hours. I’m that guy, most of y’all have seen him, he’s standing on the road side fishing in a ditch, and most people think he’s nuts. Well I am a bit “off” but that aside, I like my ditch fishing, I have honestly never gone and not caught something. Most times it’s a small bluegill (bream) or the like but I have caught largemouth bass up to 15” from a ditch you wouldn’t think a frog lived in. I get the horn toot and giggle to myself at the strange looks passers by give me as they drive past, I’ve had folks stop and chat in disbelief that I just caught that fish from there. Had people stop and talk about how they used to do the same thing when they were young and that this brings back memories. I encourage each one that does stop, to give it a try when they have a few minutes or even now as I always have an extra rod or two in my truck, I can almost guarantee they would catch a fish if they would but try. I don’t fish to keep them, I snap a picture and toss them back, to me it’s just fun to catch them. It’s something I remember doing as a kid, riding my bike to each of the culverts on that long country road and stopping and fishing, such fun. So when I retired I decided I would start going again and I’ve had a blast. Peach goes with me at times, but she’s busy with work and schooling and it leaves me to wander by myself. But yesterday was different, yesterday Jason our youngest son went with me. It was a hoot! We hit all the same spots I like to go and between the two of us we caught over 40 different fish. Copperheads (bluegill) Redbreast (sunfish) Spotted sunfish (Stumpnocker) and even Largemouth bass, all from ditches and all within 2 miles (as the crow flies) from our house. Fishing with the boys is always something I want time for and when they can go and want to, it’s a wonderful experience. I still have a small 10’ boat and electric motor for the ponds and pits people sometime let me fish (always looking for more ponds so if y’all know any where I can go, pass it this way) and I’ve gone with my oldest son James that way a time or two, but honestly my favorite is the ditch fishing, I can’t help it m! I’m hooked (pun intended) on it. Anyways, Jason and I hit each spot and caught fish until they stopped biting and then we moved on to the next, enjoying the day, the fishing and the company. We bumped into a fella at our last spot, who we chatted with a while, he had run out of bait and was leaving, as we talked Jason caught a good redbreast, which he gave to this fella as he was fishing for food and we were just catching and releasing. I showed him what we were using (pink trout magnet lures) and even gave him one, he stayed and fished more, he was still there when we left for home. At the end of the trip I realized that these are the days people wish for, maybe not fishing but just a nice few hours with family, with nothing else interrupting. Y’all try it sometime, and if you see a fella standing on the side of the road fishing in a ditch, toot the horn and wave, or stop by and chat. Who knows, you might find yourself fishing with him and enjoying every second.

Above are just a few of those we caught, they are not giants but each one is a memory and cherished like it weighed 5 lbs.

“See that Peach, I can catch fishes”

Categories
Delight Encouragement family good joy Life Love memories outdoors

Our Fires

Beckoning your attention

Twisting tendrils glowing red

Dancing fingers of heat

Crackling and consuming

Embers pulsating with light and dark

Drawing eyes to it

Mesmerizing with its life

Bringing warmth and light

Limbs burning and falling deeper

Red embers sparkling and dancing fireflies of orange

Smokey tendrils drift on the wind

Till the fire sleeps again

How’s that Peach I did you a poem”

Categories
children dads Faith family Father Fatherhood grandchildren Love memories parents

4 Things I’ve Learned

Peach checking in:

Some thoughts on 4 things I’ve learned. Being a parent is such a great gift. It teaches you so much about how we are supposed to live and our relationship with our Father. And the kids themselves teach you beautiful things, too.

Free Will: As a parent, the Lord taught me the power and purity of free will. We really don’t give Him enough credit for that one. It’s huge. And it’s like a boomerang, because you get to choose, every day, all the time, all these things. And you are attached to these choices, so you will own them, and He has grace for you to overcome and make more wise choices, and it just goes on and on. It’s a strong Father that can do that. No cajoling, no pleading, just free will. Because only what we WANT to do, with a glad and happy heart is what He longs for. ❤️

Unconditional Love: I’ll never forget learning this lesson. It was so painful. When our oldest son moved out (a longgggg time ago) the Lord showed me, that while I loved our son unconditionally, I had not shown that love to him unconditionally. It was a crushing realization, but we learn our most from our mistakes. It’s not enough to love unconditionally. You must communicate that love in a manner that shows it’s unconditional. People on the outside looking in, will judge. They will think they know better. They don’t. Nobody but you and the Lord really know. You live before Him. And Him alone. And He’s the best teacher of love and parenting. Anything I ever get right as a parent or grandparent it’s because I listened to the Lord. Anything I miss. Anything I get wrong, well, it’s because I went my own way, even though unintentionally.

Two things I learned from our sons:

Don’t rush. Be still, be slow, enjoy the moment, take it all in. Take your time. Breathe. Kind people are not in a hurry all the time. Gentle people are not rushing around. That’s it.

Acceptance: accept people for who they are, just like they are. Not as we’d like them to be. Or how we think they ought to be. But, just as they are, just like that. It might sound strange, it’s so simple a thing. Just accept. Here’s part of the dictionary definition: “the action or process of being received as adequate or suitable, typically to be admitted into a group.
“you must wait for acceptance into the club” – this is a quality of children, right? We tend to lose it as adults, but I don’t think either of our sons ever lost it. I think they got that from their Dad, and I learned it from them.

This is what happens when you’ve had the virus and been having too much time in your head! 😅💚

Categories
choices Encouragement Fear forgiveness Heritage Humility

Failure

Young men used to lie about their age to be able to fight for this country. Now they are offended by certain cartoons 🙄
We as parents have failed to protect our kids from society’s idea of what’s right and what is wrong
…the world according to Batman

Categories
backroads dads food Life Love nature photography road trip travel Uncategorized

Down the Road

Batman says:

Road trips are a fun way to spend an afternoon or weekend. Cruising forgotten highways and byways of the states always takes Peach and I to interesting places. Normally we don’t have a plan, pick a direction and off we go, to me that’s easier as there’s no firm destination so there’s no worry about getting anyplace in a hurry, which is the way we like it. We are apt to pull over and take pictures of airplanes or signs on the side of the road at any given moment.

We generally take these trips as photo opportunities and snap pics at things we think is cool or interesting, be it places or objects. Kinda like a mobile photo shoot so to speak, so I will keep attaching photos from several of our trips, maybe someone will recognize a place or see something they may want to visit.

Going for a ride does so many good things for Peach and myself, without a destination we are free to stop and explore, basically anything we want, and we like to explore together, so there’s that. There’s also the fact that we both really like taking pictures of just about anything and everything and what better way to see various things than to go on a road trip.

Then of course there’s eating, and if you know me you know I don’t like skipping meals (no fat jokes, I’m a sensitive guy) and again there are soooooooooooo many small shops and eateries to stop and sample food. Local favorites where ever you are, usually do not look like much in small out of the way towns and places, but boy howdy the food is outstanding most times and the staff in these small places are usually friendly and polite and try and ensure you have a pleasant meal while you are there.

Some of the views we get are crazy outstanding and some of the places are rich and full of history, take a walk thru Savanna’s squares and read the plaques denoting a time gone by (a time which a lot of my friends say I’m a throw back from) where a person had to work to make a living, and people genuinely cared about their cities and towns and their neighbors. We see a lot of these type places driving down forgotten county roads, the roads the truckers used to rely on for their routes. My dad when he was young was an over the road trucker and used to in his latter years comment on how he wished he had the time to drive some of the roads he used to just to see the routes again, to my sadness, as bad as I wanted to surprise him and go on a road trip with him over those old routes, he went to be with our maker before I could make that happen, sometimes I feel as if he is pointing me in directions to go (crazy? Maybe but I believe).

To me, and I believe to Peach also, the fun is in the adventure of what we find along the way, and we continue to find things that surprise, enlighten, and give pause, all have been happy interesting things, some things have been long in finding, some just around the corner, but in all, we know in our hearts that, “You will not find happiness at the end of your journey, if you do not bring it with you” (read that scribbled on a bathroom wall on one of our road trips 🤣 an have found it to be so true).

If you’re out and about and see an old country boy and a beautiful Peach stopped on the side of the road taking pictures, or in a small town wandering and photographing with phones and cameras, don’t be alarmed, it’s prolly just Peach and Batman headed “Down the Road”

Y’all take a piece of advice from an old country boy that’s “living in the wrong time” in this new fangled world; Live your life as God intended, learn to take happiness with you where ever you are headed, stop and meet people in small out of the way places, smile, give a kind word to someone, and above all, find that someone that you can not stand to be apart from and hang on to them forever, the adventure awaits just down the road.

“Peach, it’s getting time to spin the dial and see which direction we should head, don’t ya think?”

Categories
beauty children dads Faith family focus Ford F150 grace grandchildren Gratitude Mustard on my Collar New Year podcasts retirement sugar boogars thankful

Odds and Ends…and New Beginnings!

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and He delighteth in his way.” — Psalm 37:23

Peach says:

How is everybody doing? We hope this new year finds you still hopeful and looking at things through the lens of God’s Grace and POWER. It’s what makes everything look BETTER, and brighter!

I see Batman spilled the beans on our latest endeavor! Because we really needed a new project!! 😂😂 But, seriously, I am so peaceful and hopeful, and sure that God is with us in this, that it gives me courage! We shall see! Like he and I often say, if even ONE person is helped, saved, encouraged or anyway uplifted, it is ALL worth it!

I try these later years in life to always be mindful when in contact with people to remember that it all MATTERS. Don’t categorize our interactions as important and non important, because sometimes what a soul needs comes suddenly AFTER a myriad of little things finally tips the basket. It’s how it was for me, and I think for many.

We’ve been each busy with jobs. Then there’s our side gig as you see up there 👆🏻

Then we have what I like to call the ‘Sugar Boogars!! We have two sons and our oldest and his wife have 5 kids!! Yep! They do know what causes that!! They just LOVE having a big family! And I love being a Mema!

The girls turned 4 this week and we celebrated last Saturday. The pictures above 1) that popped up in my IG memories. 2, 3) them sporting birthday presents!

Tomorrow we get a visit from our youngest son and his fiancé! They are happily expecting their first child! Our sixth grandchild!! We are over the moon excited!! Can’t wait for tomorrow!

And our oldest has a birthday on Valentine’s Day! He’s working this weekend, so we are celebrating that next Saturday!

Looks like February is the month for family and parties! Don’t worry! We are all very low key and careful and it’s only immediate family! 👌🏻🙏🏻

The podcast could not happen without Batman. There have been all sorts of technical issues and he has muscled his way through each and every one of them. I am so grateful for him, y’all have no idea.

We’ve only got the intro one up yet. But, much more in the works. Prayers appreciated. In the natural, I mean like the world does NOT appear to need another podcast. But, I believe in the supernatural! I believe in a God who decides what He thinks is necessary and works out the details for each soul as they need it. That doesn’t make our podcast special, it makes us available for Him to work through! That’s all I’m looking for! Right place, right time, right message, right soul(s) at any given time!

This happened on Christmas Eve!! It was such a happy, unexpected (but secretly hoped for) blessing! It’s part of our retirement plans. He’s researched for over two years the kind of camper we want to pull and the type of truck which would best suit it. Everything just came together for the best package deal (year end stuff and a heap of Grace) and now we are ready to narrow down our search for a camper!

We went to our first RV show yesterday! It was very cool and we are getting a lot closer to what we want!

There will be more RV shows this year!

I am hoping to be much more regular on here. It makes me happy and I think it’s important to work our gifts, however humble they are, and trust God to do good work IN us and THROUGH us. I often find myself thinking the life of Christians, is very much like a bee or butterfly, cross pollinating and bringing much needed joy wherever they go!

This made us giggle at lunch today, after the Range! We often like to grab a quick meal after (or between) class(es) at our favorite nearby chain restaurant. Just silliness, I tell ya!

Lastly, here’s one more of Sugar Boogars!! Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you will say Hi! And drop a note and we will come see you!

Categories
beauty family Life life styles nature parents peace

Peach and My Colorado Trip

Batman says:

Here’s a short pictorial view of Peach’s and My trip to Estes Park in Colorado to visit our youngest son. Just a fantastic day and hike through our makers AWESOME painting of earths wonders, enjoy…

Times have changed since then, youngest moved back closer to home, work makes long trips less possible but someday we will return to revisit and maybe stay longer, and enjoy more of Gods artwork.

Yes Peach I do know the way back to the truck from here..”

Categories
children danger exploited family Fatherhood Fear human trafficking Life missing parents safety Uncategorized

Find the Missing

Batman Says:

I’m not sure why, but I’m sure it is going on, most of the world turning a blind eye to “Human Trafficking”. Where are the outcry’s of rage? Where is the supposed “news media”, where are the family members of missing loved ones? Where are the Police? Where are the elected officials? Where for Gods sake are the red blooded American citizens who should be beating down the powers that be’s doors?

There are an estimated 800,000 missing children EVERY YEAR and these estimates are lowballed and do not include adults. There are evil people out there, snatching kids off the streets, playgrounds, and even yards, to sell as slaves and sex objects. It is not a new thing, it has been going on for ages, in the background, silently and stealthily, people are being snatched and disappear hourly.

Where is the outcry? It makes no sense, with all the families of the missing, there should be marching in the streets. Where is the so called news media, that says they have the public’s interest at heart in their “news” stories, one would think something like this would be front and center DAILY so people would see the severity of the problem and rise up to begin to stop it. They are not reporting it because it’s not sensational enough, there are no bad cops to show, nor politicians whose ideas they don’t agree with to bash, therefore they do not care. Folks to fix the news media is another story all by itself, but emailing and writing may help, I suggest something radical that I’m sure not a lot will do, but it would work, stop watching the news, stop watching that network, the one thing I do know these people want is ratings, without you they don’t have that, then they send out polls as to why and you can express your opinion and tell them why, but this is about the missing not the biased news.

This is no fantasy story, nor something happening only in lower class places, this is something that effects us all. Human traffickers care about only one thing, money, and to get money they need live bodies, boys, girls, men and women are ALL targets. We as people have GOT to make a stand and start thwarting these (and I won’t use foul language) lowest of life forms on the planet, by EVERY means available to us.

Here are a few tips:

Moms and Dads know where your kids are at all times

Watch your neighborhood, call the Police over suspicious people and / vehicles

Go places as groups not alone

Look at your surroundings as you move about, look up, not at your feet

Always tell someone where you are going to be, and when to expect you back

Let someone know your route you plan to take.

(Where it’s legal) Carry pepper spray, mace, or a stun gun, in your hand Anytime you are walking or running.

Park your car as close to the store you’re visiting as you can get, under a light if possible.

Do not park next to a van or truck, especially if it is between you and the store front.

When you leave the store Know where your vehicle is prior to wandering all over the lot.

(Where it’s legal) Walking to your vehicle have your pepper spray / mace/stun gun in your hand until you are in your car, with the door locked. Look at your car, does it look like it’s been disturbed? Is there a car or truck or even a car with dark tinted windows around it? If so, ask a store worker to walk you to your car.

There are hundreds of things we can do to make ourselves and our children and friends “hard targets” but it takes constant vigilance to do it.

As a Police Officer, I am appalled at the lack of concern, lack of public knowledge, lack of commitment by most anyone on this subject. It’s a disgrace and should not be allowed to stand.

Folks, if you know ANYTHING at all that could lead to finding even one missing person, one human trafficker, one location, or anything, I beg you to tell a Law Enforcement Officer, or anyone you can that may be able to help…if you’re afraid or don’t want to get involved, message us here privately and we will get the right people to the right places.

Together we can stop this horrible crime and maybe rescue someone’s loved one in the meantime.

Use the tips I posted 24 hours a day 7 days a week, pass them to your friends and family, pass the word around, information and diligence is key and together we can win.

Peach and I are both available to speak to groups about personal safety, just shoot us a message and we will see what we can come up with.

God bless you all and please be safe.

Your stun gun is fully charged Peach, is my hair sticking up?”

Categories
bible Faith Fear grace Life Uncategorized

Scared

I see a lot of scared people theses days, some are scared of the so called pandemic, but most I see, are scared at the unrest.

I see people that are afraid to leave their houses, afraid that someone will loot their business, rob them, and or harm them. These are normal everyday people, good people that should be able to rest easy and get on with their lives without fear.

Some of these people come to see Peach and I to get trained in how to protect themselves. They want to learn how to shoot, how to defend themselves against someone who thinks they are a lesser person. These are everyday people, moms and dads, store managers, retirees, whatever. Peach and I help the ones we can with good safe training and teaching skills to improve awareness, plus shooting skills that are relevant in real daily life.

But what we really see needed is a return to Godliness, a return to following Gods teachings and more faith and grace. I’m by no means a preacher, I know I have faults but I pray every night to be forgiven and every morning that I do better than the last.

If the world would stop trying to deny God’s existence, and just for 1 month follow His word, I guarantee there would be no need for people to want firearms training, no need to be afraid, only the need to live in grace.

Till then (if it ever happens), Peach and I will teach the skills needed to defend oneself and others against the evil that exists out there.

Word to my brothers and sisters in “Blue” “Cowboy up and do your job, you took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of your state, and of your agency or department, do not let crime happen if you can stop it, millions of people are counting on us to Do Our Jobs and Protect them, if you cannot or will not do that, turn your crap in and find a different line of work”.

If this offends you, tough, we do not stand by and watch people attacked by mask wearing punks and do nothing, if you do you’re no better than they are.

Anywho, I’m climbing off my podium and gonna hang out with Peach, you all have a blessed day/night/whatever.

“See Peach, it wasn’t that bad of a tirade”

Categories
Faith family Fear focus Life

Listening

Batman Says:

Sitting out on the deck early this morning before most of this part of the world wakes up, I closed my eyes and just listened. Ever do that? Just listen? Interesting what the result may be if you do. Because I was outdoors, and Peach and I live out in the country (not deep in the woods away from all sounds of man like I wish but, still country folk) I get to hear nature, sometimes mans noise butts in, but mainly nature. Early like this, there are still night creatures about but also the day crews are waking up and moving about. It’s a peaceful time, and the amount of nature that could be heard (probably could hear more, but for years of teaching shooting numbing my hearing 😳) night hawks, whip-or-wills (Chuck-will’s-widow more often) early morning Cardinals, Mocking birds and of course, the always present sound of roosters crowing, Horned owls, Barred owls, and Screech owls… you get the idea. All add their voices at one time or another, together or separate, frequent or rarely, and just listening to them relaxes me.

There are at times no sounds at all, it’s creepy still, the time of morning or night when as Sherlock Holmes put it “the powers of evil are exalted”. Times like these some get nervous or frightened, but as Don Williams sang “Nothing makes a sound in the night like the wind does, but you’re not afraid if you’re washed in the blood like I was”. Night sounds (early morning, too) can stir up fears in people, an involuntary reaction stemming back to the days when it was kill or be killed, and wild carnivores roamed everywhere, it also stems from man’s evilness to one another where certain elements prey on weaker victims. But in the here and now, the sounds I hear are stealthy, and then some are musical, neither cause fear as I have and still hunt the evil most refuse to acknowledge exists and fear little in doing so (“Fear profits no man” ..13th Warrior). Settling more in my comfy chair I hear leaves rustle, probably a mouse or mole looking for edible yummies, as I look up thru the live oak leaves to the crystal clear ink black sky with its brilliant sparkly lights (them is stars in case you didn’t get it) flashing colorful lights from far away. You can almost hear the trees talking to the wind and each other (probably wondering why we get to move around when they can’t) with soft subtle voices that you either believe in or don’t. If you believe, you can quietly hear the soft voices on the wind, maybe not understand them but you can hear them if you listen. Most refuse to hear those quiet voices from things in nature, especially those they hear when it is dark, and they do it out of fears. Fears of the unknown, fears others may not have heard it and would ridicule or belittle them, fears they would lose friendships or companions.

“Fear does not stop death it stops Life and worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles it takes away today’s Peace”

If you must fear, the fear should be that you have let God down by not following his word. (Squirrel ran by…apologies)

Listening teaches us so much more than talking does, and if most people would open their ears and close their mouths, they would learn tons and there would be way less conflict. So I sit, when I can, be it at home or at work (rare but I do sometimes get the chance) and I listen to what the world is trying to tell me. I hear the sunrise, I hear the wind, I hear Gods creations great and small. I don’t always understand them, but I hear them all, each has its own unique voice, some booming some barely perceptible. None of these would I be able to hear if all I did was talk. The gift of silence is often underestimated, but having the ability to let someone talk or vent, without interjecting, is a rare ability that more people need. Take the time to shut up and just listen, I bet you hear a lot and maybe learn to appreciate silence more.

“What’s that Peach? Sorry wasn’t listening” 😬