Posts

Freedom isn't Free

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    I heard that spring break is happening now down in Florida. It's a wild time for college kids to go hang out, drink a lot, do drugs, have sex with strangers and let their hair down. In some towns, the residents have had enough of the rowdiness that comes with spring break.   Some time back, my older brother Mark forwarded me this picture as a reminder that someone else paid a high price for the freedoms that we enjoy. A day on the beach can mean different things to different people. It's food for thought.

Chickadee Jerks

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  I think we could all pretty much agree that human beings have the ability to be world class jerks at times. It doesn't mean we're that way all the time, but when something doesn't go our way, we sometimes exhibit behavior that is less than stellar. A perfect example is when we get behind the wheel of our cars. The mild mannered neighbor down the street can turn into a jackass when he's sitting in a two thousand pound machine rocketing down the road at sixty five miles per hour. If someone pulls out in front of him or isn't going fast enough, or perhaps is tailgating, the transformation is akin to Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde. Would it surprise you though that humans aren't the only animals that behave badly? When I was living down south, I had a neighbor who kept a dog, a mongrel, that would bark uncontrollably whenever someone walked down the street past its yard. Fortunately it was fenced in. One day a fishing friend of mine named Bunny was walking down the road wit

Where's My Eyebrow?

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  I got an email from a friend where I used to live. His name is Tim. He used to work in the woods as a logger, climbing hillsides and cutting down huge old growth spruce and hemlock trees. Now he's working at the local sawmill, running the saw, turning those logs into lumber. He's tough as nails, a real he-man. We developed a friendship some years back when he started coming to church. He knows enough about some of my misadventures in life that he felt comfortable relaying to me a story of his own misfortune. While getting ready for church a week ago, he took a look in the mirror and realized that he was starting to look pretty shaggy. Hoonah doesn't have a barber shop. There are a few people in town who cut hair, but by and large, most folks either opt to cut their own, or get a haircut when they take a trip to Juneau. Tim decided to trim up his hair and shave his beard. Then he noticed that his eyebrows were really getting long. He said about an inch and a half in length

Valentines Day Poem

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  From time to time I like to share a poem or story that I've read on the writing web site, Fan Story. The other day, a writer in Texas who goes by the name Pome Lover wrote this poem for America. She speaks from her heart and is a patriot who is frustrated with the direction that the country is moving in. I share her feelings and worry what is to become of this once great nation if we don't change the path we're on.  A Different Valentine by  pome lover My country is my valentine! This poem is for her. She’s in a lot of trouble And I think most folks concur.   I love my country, and I fear what “they” want her to be: Americans  who hate her, want to change her, totally.   They called her names and burned her flag, caused riots in the streets; those in power didn’t stop them, so of course, there were repeats!   Those horrors really happened And are quickly getting worse; If Americans don’t take a stand There could be no reverse.   Why  have some Americans, turned Marxist, o

Am I A Criminal?

           I was making my bed today. Actually I was changing the sheets before I made it. While the pillow case was off I noticed the tag that hangs on pillows and mattresses. It's like an official government notice not to remove the tag under penalty of law. Really? Are you kidding  me? What, is there a pillow police? If I remove the tag, will a couple of guys show up to my doorstep wearing trench coats, fedoras and dark glasses? What is the fine for removing the tag off the mattress? Is it higher than the fine for taking the tag off the pillow? Why do they even put it on there? Can you imagine ripping off the tag  and thoughtlessly tossing it into the bathroom waste can, and the next day the feds show up? Picture this if you will- you're drinking coffee in your easy chair. It's 8:30 on a Tuesday morning. You're watching the news and getting royally pissed off by the latest blunder by our leaders. The doorbell rings and you look at your wife quizzically. She wasn'

The Colonoscopy That Wasn't

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  FAQ:   What are certificates?  |  What are stars?  |  How do I become a ranked author? Sometimes I feel like a character in the Gary Larson cartoon- The Far Side. He always portrayed goofy looking animals or characters in bizarre situations. One of my favorites showed a lady jumping out of a burning building, striking a trampoline - like device that the firemen are holding, and bouncing into another building that is also on fire. I found that hilarious, but then I have a weird sense of humor. The reason I mention this is it appears that no matter what I do in my life, something out of the ordinary always seems to come up. For instance, I was at my doctors office a few months ago. We talked about private matters like my prostate. I told him I wasn't going to go for any more prostate exams. The exam entails a doctor sticking his digit up your back side and feeling around. The last time I visited my old doctor, I told him I wasn't going to do the finger trick anymore. "How

Mr. Clean

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  When I moved to Alaska and discovered that I could be paid to catch fish, I was ecstatic. All I needed was a boat and a license, both of which were procured within two years of moving here. Like most jobs, there are certain aspects that are enjoyable and others that aren't so much so. Catching fish was a lot of fun; cleaning up the mess it created didn't bring nearly as much joy. Because I was catching salmon using hook and line, the fish brought a higher price than ones that were caught in nets. Each fish was brought on board individually, stunned, and bled by cutting the gills, and then cleaned and put in ice. Salmon have a tendency to put up a fight and even though they may be clubbed and gaffed, they sometimes would thrash around the deck, especially Humpies. Pink salmon, or Humpback salmon- Humpies, are the smallest of the Pacific salmon, ranging from two to five pounds on average. They are worth the least amount of money and are the hardest to kill, frequently tearing o