Genealogy

I have dabbled with genealogy off and on over the years.  It had been put on the back burner the last 10 or so years.  Very rarely did I do much with it.  I had compiled quite a bit of our family tree and then hit some roadblocks.  These dead ends weren't just for me.  There was an entire website dedicated to this particular branch of our family.  EVERYONE had hit the same wall.  Genealogy goes hand in hand with my interest in history.  It is fun and you can spend many hours at it very quickly.  It can also be very frustrating. 

Lately I have been updating my files and adding my wife's family.  In the past I used the most popular software that most everyone else used.  They would update it every year and try to hit your wallet for a newer more improved version.  No, they wouldn't send updates to the version you bought, you needed to purchase the new one entirely.  You could also join their website and upload and share info there.  Of course there was a price.  Way to much as far as I was concerned. 

I recently found a free software over at www.MyHeritage.com that accepts the files I have compiled without any problem and it's pretty user friendly.  They also have a website you can join that allows you access to other records.  Of course for a price but it's much much cheaper than the other.  The issue is that you must purchase an entire years membership at once.  I would prefer to join for a few months at a time, when I am actually working on genealogy since I am so sporadic in my research.  Wish they had that option.

I have found some interesting things in my research.  A horse thief that managed to escape a lynch mob.  Numerous Confederate Soldiers and Texian Soldiers, a Revolutionary War militiaman, but details are lacking.  That is where my interest truly lies, the details.  It appears that many of the records have been destroyed by fires and yankees. 

There were several legends that have been disproved.  Others have yet to be proved or disproved.  Ever heard of the Texas Ranger, William A. A. Bigfoot Wallace?  The story is we are related.  I can't verify the link yet everyone keeps repeating the story.  I have argued with a cousin that repeats this story yet she has no proof or link and she had researched more than I.  It's one of those things people like to tell.  Another in that same line, the horse thief actually, is said to have been a scout for Gen. Sam Houston during the Texas Revolution.  I have found his cavalry records but the time frame is sketchy.  He wasn't in the Army until after the defeat of the Mexican's.  He was in something called the 'S' War or Shadow War.  They shadowed the Mexican Troops as they returned to Texas.  There is no documentation of this 'war' that I can find other than his bounty land warrant that granted him 320 acres for service in the 'S' war.

There is also supposed to be a book about another branch ( the one that I have the most interest in) that was compiled by a family members wife.  It now resides with a distant cousin that my Mom knows but not well at all.  I need a copy of that thing if it actually exists.  I have to get my Mom to try to get that thing before it's to late.  She was reluctant the last time we spoke about it.  I won't give up easily.

Happy Trails in your search.

Regularly Scheduled Program

We now return to our regular program after yesterday's sermon.

My roof now leaks.  It's a pretty bad leak too.  Fortunately it is over the patio so nothing inside can get damaged.  I thought something looked different with the water on the patio but didn't detect any leak.  Chalked it up to wind blown rain.  Sunday morning in the midst of another 3" deluge there was even more water where it shouldn't be and also the drips from one of the ceiling joints.  I will need to head into town and get some roof caulk or patch to try to temporarily fix the leak.  The most likely spot is around the chimney and a spot where the roof repair guy showed me.  I need this to work for a while.  All the unusual expenses and Kim's business having really fallen off have wreaked havoc with our savings.  We haven't had enough or big enough hail to get an insurance claim for a new roof.  It could be worse.

Went out to the garden in the morning as I usually do, was going to pick a couple strawberries that I had been watching.  They were covered in mold.  Or they were wearing a little gray fur coat.  They look like they had been forgotten in the back of the fridge.  I guess that can be expected with as wet as it has been the last couple weeks.  I never would have guessed it would happen while still on the plant. 

While in town Sunday we went with some friends to lunch.  I have never had Thai food before.  Had been wanting to try it.  I had no real expectations other than hearing it is spicy.  Don't ask what I had, I couldn't tell you the name of it if I even tried.  It was a bowl of stir fried ground beef, bell peppers, onions, more hotter peppers and a side of rice.  I didn't expect ground beef.  Expected small slices like you would get with Chinese.  The waitress told me this was a spicy dish and did I want it mild, medium or Thai Hot.  I eat pretty spicy food most of the time with all the Mexican and Tex Mex down here.  So I am pretty used to hot foods.  But I took the weenie way out and went with medium.  It wasn't real hot but had some bite which was good.  Now I'm curious about Thai Hot.  The food was OK, I could eat it again but nothing outstanding.  I left hungry, even with the bowl looking pretty big, that type food just doesn't fill me up.  I had to add the rice to it to give it a little more heft.  I generally try to avoid rice due to what it does to my blood sugar, so I went lightly.  Still prefer a cheeseburger or enchiladas any day.

We finally got over to Mom's for Mother's Day.  It was good to be just the four of us.  Less commotion from to many people and were able to have a good visit.  They are doing pretty well.  Dad is having some sort of procedure Monday.  Injections to relieve some back pain.  It was either this or surgery and they didn't want to do surgery with his advanced age.  Hope he gets some relief.

In the mean time, I'll be up on the roof, if it quits raining for a bit, trying to repair that stinking leak.  I'll be obsessing over it until it stops.

Happy Trails

Evil

Heard a great lesson at church about wearing the whole armor of God and being at war.  Not war in the traditional shoot 'em up way, but a war against evil.  I believe we are in a more serious situation with the world seeming to be more full of evil than at any time in my lifetime.  I could fill this page for the rest of my life and not cover all the evils present in the world.  Most everyone is aware of the many threats that we face as a country.  I tend to be more concerned about the evil that assaults  the traditional family, as a Christian.  At every turn there are any number of groups or individuals that are challenging and trying to change the way things have been accepted by traditional morality by telling their lies.  It seems to be working.  I have always believed that if you tell a lie long enough, people begin to believe it.  That is exactly what is happening with the assault on Christians and our traditional family values.  Most of these type folks will just try to shout you down if you try to engage them in a discourse of some sort.  At points they almost become uncivilized in their behavior.  They get louder and more strident as a tactic to intimidate in order to cover their lies.

It is difficult to combat this type mindset, and they also have the media on their side trumpeting their causes, belittling those that disagree and calling them intolerant.  A word that has been the 'catch word' of the PC crowd, a word I have come to despise.  Just how do we combat that type mindset?  Of course this is all speaking in general terms, and every situation will differ.  But I firmly believe that if you know the truth and you are committed to keeping the truth, you have not lost the war, or even the battle.  Things that are evil didn't stop being evil over night or ever.  Evil is always evil and truth is always truth.  We must be prepared to do battle with evil, if not, it will over take us like we have seen it do and is doing in our country and the rest of the world.

Watch your six.  

More Rain

Another 2 inches last night with more predicted.  This will play havoc with my tomatoes.

Happy Trails

Soggy

It is very soggy here.  I got 2 more inches of rain Wednesday.  This is on top of the almost continual rain for about 2 weeks.  Actually it is almost every other day I have gotten from 0.25 to 0.50 inches.  There hasn't been time for things to ever get dry.  I really hate to complain with as dry as it has been over the last few years.  The extremists will tell us all that we are running out or water in the giant aquifer that supplies this part of the state.  I do try to conserve water and not waste.  While the aquifer does get lower and rivers have stopped running (first time I ever saw that) and springs dry up, they admit not knowing just how much water is in that aquifer.  

We have been on water use restriction for years.  Even in the 'green' years there is a permanent restriction on water use.  Another plus with all this rain is my water bill will be much lower as I won't use as much to keep the landscape barely alive.  We are restricted to one day a week watering landscape between certain hours.  It doesn't take a lot for your bill to quadruple over the summer months, even trying to conserve.

The habitat is really lush and green.  That may be one reason Buster hasn't had the chance to chase rabbits in the yard.  It was fun to watch him try to catch them.  He knew he wasn't going to catch them and so did they.  After a while he would just go through the motions because he knew it was his job.  The rabbits would know he wasn't really trying and just run in a big circle and stop, never leaving the yard.  They seemed to be taunting him.  It was fun to watch the interaction.  He would surprise them once in a while and get really close, but those cottontails are really quick and would evade him pretty easily and duck under the fence.  When he came back in the house proud of himself they would come back shortly thereafter.  Good Times.  I am not worried to much about them getting in the garden,  I have a wire fence around it just to deter them.  They could wipe me out in one night if they were determined.

I have a a couple leaks around the windshield and back window of my truck.  They usually only show up with a major deluge.  I got in it after a letting it sit for a week and noticed a musty smell.  Constant rain is evidently an issue for it now too.  Once it dries, I will have to get to using some window sealer I have.  There are actually several things this wet weather has put on hold.   There are a couple spots on the trim/fascia of the house that need to be caulked that have shown up with the constant wet.  Still thankful for the rain despite my complaints.

Happy Trails

Work

With the weather being inclement or with the strong possibility of bad weather, it is not conducive to outside activities, but it is good for leather work.  Late Monday evening my order of leather arrived for the portfolio that was special ordered.  It is a really nice piece. 

It should be pretty straight forward, nothing real fancy just a shaded two color finish that could be problematic.  Can't afford to screw this one up with this special leather being as expensive as it is. 

Kim had received this order at the resort.  She told me they had ordered a 'legal size portfolio-the big one.'  That meant the 8.5" x 14" to me.  She runs and gets me a 'legal' size pad for sizing.  It is the 8.5" x 11 3/4" legal pad.  I question this and remind her she said 'the big-one.'  Well it says legal pad on there she says, wasn't aware there was another size.  She then says the lady didn't say 'the big-one.'  This was just her way of saying it wasn't a regular pad and to make sure that I understood the difference between legal 'the big one' and a regular size pad.  Fingers crossed.  You, remember the communication thing from Monday's post?  Exactly.  We now have a call in to verify what was meant by legal size since she wasn't aware that there were two legal sizes.  SMH.  Glad I didn't cut leather yet.  Pics when it's finished.

 

I was also able to finish up the knife sheaths for my friend and got those delivered.   

I got a bonus out of it.  He gave me more ammo than I had asked for.  Not bad at all this barter stuff.

Also finished up another couple wallets I had been working on off and on.  One traditional with a natural finish with buffalo hide interior.

Then this roper style with a different type of finish.  It wasn't turning out quite like I wanted and tried to salvage it and got this. 

 Kim really likes this one.  I probably would have done it over but she thinks that funky stain is pretty cool.  Almost like a distressed leather but not really.

 

Happy Trails

Unusual Weather

Things have been really strange with the weather here.  Well, not really, but compared to the last few years it is.  May is traditionally our wettest month, which hasn't been true the last 5-7 years.  We have had severe drought ongoing during that time.  We now are almost constantly under threat of thunderstorms that could turn severe and it is pretty soggy most of the time.  We have been spared the tornadoes and flooding that other areas have endured.  In that regard we are fortunate.  We get threats and warnings of twisters pretty regular but nothing like those more to the north. 

The sun does make an appearance almost every day but the mornings start out very cloudy and the humidity.  Oh the humidity.  It looks like there are fires burning somewhere it is so hazy.  The fact is that there is smoke being combined with the very heavy humidity.  The smoke comes up from Mexico where they use fires to clear land and we get the benefit of their fires.  It goes on for over a month at least, well into June.  Did I mention the humidity?  It is pretty heavy here almost anytime of year, more than any western state and the upper reaches of Texas.  While it may be bad, it isn't near what I experienced in Georgia when we visited there a few years ago.  It was so thick there it was even hard to breathe.   We have had to use the AC earlier this year simply to clear out some of the humidity in the house.  Things are very green, even things that shouldn't be, like the rock on the side of our house.  We are growing algae.

Saturday saw a brief thunder shower and then some pretty strong winds.  I looked out to the garden and my tomato plants were laying on their sides.  They have gotten almost to tall for their own good.  When they start bearing, they will have trouble supporting their own weight.  Yes, I have cages around them to help support them, but they are too short and flimsy for these plants.  I have never had plants get this tall this fast.  They are also much to close together.  I wasn't worried about it at first since I have never had mutant giant tomato plants.  I have found some much more sturdy and bigger cages to use...next year.  That will give me time to save for them, they are very pricey.  169$ for six cages.  Yeah, I know.  But if I want this to work better and easier I will have to shell out for success.

My onions are being eaten by something.  I find several missing everyday.  They look pretty pathetic now.  Never had issues with onions before.  I don't expect to harvest any now.  So disappointing. 

I have decided I will probably at least double the size of the garden next year if not triple.  I only have 7 tomato plants but they have nearly overtaken the entire 4'x8' plot and they don't have enough room for themselves at this rate. 

Happy Trails