Hens Gathering

February 1 is the due date for our next Grandchild, a little girl.  The Mother's parents live in AZ.  Grandmother from AZ arrived Tuesday evening.  She will be here through the birth.  Granddad will arrive sometime this weekend.  I don't know how long they will stay.  Since we are here and will have access pretty much when we want it, we will try to leave them with the new baby for their entire visit with them having to share her with us.  Since they won't get to see her as often, we hope to let them get as much time with her as they can.  So we will try to stay out of the way while they are here.  This will be their first Grandchild.  

K has been over there helping get the baby's room set up several times over the last month or so.  She is over there today with the other Grandmother working on a craft project for the baby's room.  The brood hens are gathering and getting it all prepared.  The excitement is building in anticipation of the arrival.  Many prayers are being offered for the new parents and the child.  Their life will change dramatically.  Son#2 is mostly aware of this and he is freaking out a bit.  We just laugh to ourselves.  

I've got a few things on my plate coming up and they all cost $$.  We have been putting off needed repairs to the house and a washing machine waiting for our SSI to start.  Painting the outside of the house along with some siding repair.  I have 50 oak trees and they have tons of ball moss and some need to be trimmed away from the house.  I usually handle this myself, I'm just not able anymore so I will have that done too.  I need to get some new glasses so I can see.  I've been putting that off for almost a year and now it is becoming an issue.  So new glasses will come first.  Washing machine second.  I can wait a little longer on the others.  

I had to call SSI to find out why I hadn't heard anything, no approval, no questions like the website said would probably happen.  They called K the same week she applied.  They put me in touch with the local office and I actually got through with a very short wait.  They said I was approved and I should receive a letter stating so and the amount and date it would start shortly.  FYI, when you apply online they ask you to check the box for the month you want your SSI to start.  My first available option was February.  I chose that.  The first check won't arrive until March, late march.  They say to apply 3 months ahead of when you want it to start.  I did, that would make Feb 1, 3 months.  They say nothing on the website of paying in arrears.  But they do, and that would make it March 1.  Oh but how wrong I was about that too.  The end of March is when it will arrive.  Basically 5 months from the day I applied before I get the first one.  Feds, smh.  

Happy Trails

I Didn't Get Banned

Apparently this blog doesn't get enough traffic for the thought police to come by or worry about anything that goes on here.  In fact the typical traffic is about 6 readers a day.  Not enough to make any sort of impact or affect the way the blogoverse or Book of Faces world operates.  No, I don't have these grand illusions of changing the way people think.  This issue, abortion, is a serious subject to me as a Christian. Thusly, I believe it is my responsibility to speak out against this abhorrent practice.  Am I disappointed I didn't get banned?  I don't know, maybe a little.  But that may just be my pride, hoping I can make a little difference.  Getting blocked or banned for a period of time would have little effect since I don't post all that often anymore or have enough traffic that the thought police would think I am a 'right wing threat.'  

We are going to try a little day trip today as we have been pretty much housebound for a while.  Other than church and a few errands we have been stuck here for various reasons.  It won't be long as we still have Buster to deal with and can't really leave him longer than a few hours.  We just need a change of scenery since the weather will turn blustery this evening.  We rarely go out in bad or cold windy weather.

Speaking of weather we had some really strange weather here around 3AM |Sunday morning.  It woke us all up.  Even Buster with his deafness was awakened.  Window rattling thunder and lightning along with a heavy amount of sleet.  Once that passed another storm cell came through just like the first and dumped some hail on us.  This was the leftover sleet around 8AM.  The temps were in the mid forties and it still hadn't melted.  So you know it had to be a lot to pile up that deep and still stick around.  There were bigger patches all around.  

The really fun thing was that Buster being awake needed to go out, badly.  So there I was holding an umbrella over us so he could do his business in this storm.  I'm sure the neighbors would have enjoyed that had they seen it.

Happy Trails

Slaughter of The Innocents

Warning:  I am going off my usual posting since the State of New York has gone completely insane with the new abortion laws they just passed.  So be forewarned my post will contain my religious beliefs on this practice.  I welcome comments, but if you plan to criticize me for what I have to say your post will be deleted.  I have NO tolerance for free speech when it goes against the teaching of God.  Yes, I know I run the risk of getting the attention of the Blogger or Google thought Police.  However I can't let this go and feel it my obligation to oppose this practice.

Full term abortion is what they just approved.  What does this mean?  A woman can have her baby killed at anytime during her pregnancy, even up to the day she is to give birth.  I don't know if that includes if she has already gone into labor.  But why should that matter?  Better yet, why not wait until it is born and them kill it?  Or maybe one or two months later?  I am sure they have their special kind of rationalization that makes them think like that.  I call it brain damaged.  

As in the Bible, this country will fail one day, due to the practice of slaughtering innocent babies.  Babies and children were offered up as sacrifices to false gods by pagan countries in the Old Testament.  The Israelites were commanded to destroy those nations for this practice (which God mentions he hates).  It is my firm unwavering belief if this country is allowed to fail it will be just retribution for the practice of abortion.  God was not mocked then, and He will not be now.  Action may not come during my lifetime or even in another generation.  Our God is merciful, wanting all to repent and be saved.  So he is patient, giving us all the chance to do the right thing.  It took generations and hundreds of years then, giving them multiple chances.  It may not even be in the manner we expect, lightning and thunder and fire and brimstone raining out of the sky.  He can use other countries, peoples to destroy us just as he did back then.  From the way things are going here, we may destroy ourselves.  However, I believe we will become weakened enough from our infighting we will be just fodder for our enemies to overtake us finally.  

I pray, Lord, come quickly.

Sorry no happy trails today.

Checking In

I don't have much going on this week and really have nothing much to post here.  We do have an appointment with the Ford Dealer to have some minor repairs made on the new Explorer.  It had a cut in the upholstery that apparently was made with a very sharp knife/box cutter while taking the plastic covering off.  They will replace the entire seat cover.  If I had not sat in the back while the wife test drove I would never have seen it.  They didn't balk at all about getting it fixed.  There was also a very small ding in the side door.  If you didn't catch the light just right, you would never see it.  It looks like a very very small hail dent.  They can remove that dent very easily and will.  They have been very accommodating and I am very pleased with our treatment by this dealership and salesman.  The understand that with the price of these vehicles you deserve to have them perfect.

Depending on the weather, I may drag out my metal detector and go do some hunting.  I haven't used it much and finding a place to hunt that is open to a metal hunter is pretty hard.  Everything is private property around here.  Unless you can get permission (not likely) or have connections, you are restricted to hunting public parks.  That can also be a problem depending on the city ordinances.  I don't really have a location in mind.  I may just drive around a little and see if I can come up with a place to hunt/dig.  

The democrats.  It doesn't surprise me how they responded to the President.  He has given up some to get some, more than I would have given up.  But their hate for Trump outstrips their good sense.  They played the 'oh poor gov't. workers not getting paid' card.  Now they can't use that this time.  The President offered them a way out of their corner.  But they just made it even harder on themselves.  How do these people keep getting elected.  I was reading an article recently about how many folks are moving into Texas from Cali.  Specifically Travis County where Austin is located and the adjoining county to the south.  They listed numbers like 120/day.  PER DAY!  Not per month our year, per day.  That area is a libtard stronghold and always votes blue.  Those moving from Cali will just add to those numbers I am guessing.  At one point, our red state may be in danger of turning blue.  That thought just chills me to the bone.  But what are my options?  Limited at best.  Move?  Not likely.  I am getting too old and have too many health issues.  I don't want to have to start over with all new doctors and getting re-established with them.  Then there is family.  My elderly parents.  While they are still independent, the time is rapidly approaching they will be much less so.  Then there are the kids and Grandkids.  All out long time friends.  It just ain't gonna happen.  

I need a long road trip.

Happy Trails

One Down

One doctor appointment down.  NO CANCER DETECTED.  That is always a relief.  Tomorrow, Friday, a trip to the opthamologist.  I will probably get a new prescription for glasses.  This past summer I could tell I wasn't seeing (reading mostly) things as clearly as I think I should.  I have been on the edge of a new prescription for the last couple visits.  So I will probably just do it and get new glasses.  I need to be able to read Old NFO's new books he has been working on.

Of course that is dependent on when my SSI starts.  I set it up to start in February.  However, the progress on the website has been stuck at 2/3 since November.  I don't know if that means the 'shut down' has furloughed the guys that work on applications or not.  K applied too, she got a phone call from Social Security with questions.  No one has called me.  We have put off several things waiting on this February.  Some of those may have to be moved again as it's getting crowded on that schedule.  Or longer of the shut down is the reason for a delay.  Oh well.

The Coming Week

This week is kinda busy.  Tuesday we are going to try to go see our 8 year old Grandson try to go up a level with his karate.  We have to be there at 8AM, ugh.  This will be on the other side of town through some of the worst traffic this area has to offer.  We may have to leave at 6:30 to be there on time.  Wednesday I have an appointment with the opthamologist.  It is just a yearly routine check for any damage from diabetes.  That is an afternoon appointment.  The later you go the longer the wait.  I usually have to wait 45 minutes to an hour when I go in the mornings.  UGH.  Thursday is with the urologist to check and see if my prostate cancer has returned or not.  Plus he will be checking the my testosterone levels.  Hopefully they will be high enough to keep from having to go on the other meds he has in mind.  Saturday is a funeral.  I may sit that one out.  Not sure yet.

I made a quick trip over to Academy Sports to check out the ammo.  I scored a 200 round pack of Winchester brand.  The white box.  65 and change.  That saves about 10$ from buying the 50 round boxes.  Sweet.  I need to build up my reserves.  So another trip soon.

Happy Trails

Quick Day Trip

Our not so busy week turned out busier than we thought.  We wanted to take a day trip to Cabela's and have lunch at Cracker Barrel near there.  It got postponed until Friday.  Even though the weather was rainy we went anyway.  It has been quite a while that we have been out that way or anywhere for that matter.  It was good to get away and also put our new SUV to the test. 

I thought Cabela's would be a good destination as I needed to replenish ammo and maybe look at a pistol I was interested in.  I've been wanting to get the wife away from her snubby 38 and into a semi auto.  She has the Ruger LCR and the recoil is pretty bad and neither of us shoot it well at all.  Short barrel, very light and a powerful round is a bit mush for either of us.  It's easy to carry but it has its limits too with just 5 rounds and since she has the built in laser you can't use a speed loader to reload.  WE may just try to sell hers to the gun shop and buy either the LC9 (new economy model-don't recall the model #) it's affordable.  Then there is the MP shield that she really liked that is a bit heavier and pricier.  It may depend on how much they can give us for hers.

I was also curious to the changes Cabela's may have since merging with Bass Pro.  Was hoping they would be cheaper.  Not a chance.  Everything they carry is still pricey, except for a few Bass Pro labeled things they carry now, and we usually leave there having bought nothing.  We did again this time also, as they were out of the ammo I wanted.  That is almost always the case there.  They have trouble keeping it in stock apparently.  

So we went and had a great lunch and headed home.  After some research I found that the best place in my area for Ammo is Academy Sports.  So I will be making a trip over to get what I need next week.

The new SUV runs and rides great, it ought to for the cost.  It is easy to go too fast it is so quiet inside and much heavier than what we are used to.  The gas mileage is similar to what my Ranger got, so gas won't be much more of an expense.  We plan to take long road trips in the future and this should be pretty good for our needs.  Currently our elderly dog keeps us close to the house.  We have no real idea how much longer he will be with us.  Everything we do is pretty much centered on his well being.  He has done his job well over the years and deserves a good retirement.  He is family.

Happy Trails