Friday Nite Check In

Yeah..., this section of The Barnyard Fence could use a little wire stretching to tighten her up..., but Charlie Horse seems to respect it as is.  Not so with the other three pasture sections that we wired off..., before the elk showed not just disrespect..., but outright distain for.  At that time I just fenced off the driveway and let the three horses roam the whole Homestead.  I can still corral Charlie Horse in The Barnyard and leave the driveway gate open when I expect company..., or UPS.

I guess I could bore you with more stories about How the Garden Grows..., or Weed Eating the Driveway..., or Cleaning the Water Troughs..., but it bores me to repeat myself too.

Got a phone call from an Aaron Newman over in Idaho the other day and we talked about music and Josh Ritter in particular.  I don't recall just how I got turned on to Ritter's music and discovered that he was born and grew up through high school in Moscow, ID.  It must have been my Pandora music channel..., he fits right in with my favorite artists that I follow and like there.  The singer/songwriter artists that aren't always great commercial figures..., Tom Russell, Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger, Jimmy Buffett, Bob Dylan, and Robert Earl Keen.  It was his lyric writing that really attracted me to him..., lines like this from "Wolves"...,a song off his fourth album, "The Animal Years" (2006)...,

At times in the frozen nights I go roaming 
In the bed she used to share with me 
I wake in the fields with the cold and the lonesome 
The moon's the only face that I see 
But I still remember that time when we were dancing 
We were dancing to a song that I'd heard 
Your face was simple and your hands were naked 
I was singing without knowing the words

..., or these from the song "To the Dogs or Whoever" off his fifth album "The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter" (2007)...,

Deep in the belly of a whale I found her
Down with the deep blue jail around her
Running her hands through the ribs of the dark
Florence and Calamity and Joan of Arc

..., and these from "Empty Hearts" off the same album...,

I'm inside with my friends
We build fires and pretend
That the night could just bend on forever
While outside in the frost
Are the wolves and the lost
And we sing "To the Dogs or Whoever"

..., and these from "Right Moves" off the same album...,

I said how is it that you come back to me?
You don't need the stories of my scars or in the stars to tell you nothing's free
I traded all the innocence I ever had for hesitation
I said won't you tell me where you been?
You put a finger to my lips and then you kissed me once and once again
The crickets all leapt up and met the moon with a standing ovation

Am I making all the right moves
Am I singing you the right blues
Is there a chance that I could call you
Just to see how you are doing?

Yeah..., I have known girls who were part Florence Nightangale, part Calamity Jane an part Joan of Arc..., and yeah..., I have know girls who's kisses made the crickets leap up and meet the moon with a standing ovation.  And I have to admit that I have know the loss of love and felt the ambiguous feelings expressed in the lyrics of the song "New Lover" off his seventh album "The Beast in Its Tracks" (2013)..., that was written after the break up of his first marriage...,

I can't pretend that all is well, it's like I'm haunted by a ghost 
There are times I cannot speak your name for the catchin' in my throat, 
There are things I will not sing for the sting of sour notes.

I feel like a miser, I feel low and mean 
For accusing you of stealin' what I offered you for free. 
Still it baffles the belief sometimes what thieves we lovers be.

I don't know who you're with these days, might be with someone new 
And if you are, I hope he treats you like a lover ought to do. 
But whoever makes you happy, it don't really matter who 
I've got a new lover now, I hope you've got a lover too.

Praise the water under bridges, the time they say will heal 
Praise the fonder, that still grows on the absent heart and fields
Praise be to this pain, these days it's all I seem to feel.

Perhaps the fault was mine 
Perhaps I just ignored who you're always gonna be, 
Instead of who I took you for. 
I've been treated worse it's true, still I expected more.

But I will not chase your shadow as you go from room to room, 
Droppin' handkerchiefs and daggers, smokin' guns and other clues 
For what someone did with someone and who did what to who. 
I've got a new lover now, I hope you've got a lover too.

I've got a new lover now, I know that she's not mine,
I only want to hold her, I don't need to read her mind,
And she only looks like you when she's in a certain light.

I got a new lover now, she knows just what I need. 
When I wake up in the night, she can read me back my dreams, 
And she loves them, though she never needs to tell me what they mean.

I hope you've got a lover now, hope you've got somebody who 
Can give you what you need like I couldn't seem to do. 
But if you're sad and you are lonesome and you've got nobody true, 
I'd be lying if I said that didn't make me happy too.
I'd be lying if I said that didn't make me happy too.

Those were the first three CDs that I got.  The first two I chose to get songs I had heard on Pandora..., and the third one was his most recent release that I chose for that reason.  Ritter produced albums in 2015 and 2017 that I didn't pick up..., but I got 2019's "Fever Breaks" for a couple of reasons.  Jason Isbell produced it and he and his band The 400 Unit lended support as well.  I had purchased tickets to see both artists together at an outdoor venue in Missoula, MT..., where Julie's sister and brother in law lived.  Julie and I ended up not making it to the gig due to Julie's medical problems..., but that album is a keeper..., with lines like "Losing Battles"...,

It's always been in my nature to be the beast
Blame the maker but stay with me

Fell into a den of thieves
Got lost in the caves of virtue
Born again and lost belief
Without a friend till the day I met you

Now I'm trying to mend my ways
I had enough of pain and bad will
Good enough for you someday
Till then, it's a losing battle

After Julie passed away on New Years Eve 2024..., Josh Ritter helped me through that loss with this song off his twelfth album "Heaven, or Someplace as Nice".  Julie and I stretched a lot of wire here on The Ranch as you can see in the picture above..., and I am still "Stretching Wire"...,

You can see him in the blizzard
Where night is day and day is night
Where every footstep disappears
Just as soon as he goes by
He likes his life this way
Moving slow from post to post
You might think that he's a ghost
But no, he's stretching wire

He's always moving forward
Never turning back around
Always moving in a straight line
To wherever he is now
Nothing up above him
But the buzzards in the sky
And in the ground the girl who loved him
So, he's stretching wire

He hears the whippers in the willow
He feeds the rattlesnakes by hand
Tumbleweeds while he is sleeping
Roll by quiet as they can
He's not afraid of morning
Or the sorrow that it brings
He'll stretch the wire till it sings
He's stretching wire"

Josh Ritter has put out thirteen studio albums..., plus a few live albums among other musical endeavors.  You can read a pretty good summary of his career and life history on Wikipedia..., here's a link...,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Ritter

 He also has a personal website with tour dates and items for sale.  I noticed that he recently had sold out shows two months ago back "home"..., "Had an incredible time in Bozeman and Missoula - thank you for joining me! Excited for our three SOLD OUT shows this weekend in Spokane, Boise, and Hailey!" and he is scheduled for a July 4th free show in Boise, ID.

https://joshritter.com/

Here is a link to his YouTube page with all kinds of Josh Ritter clips and songs...,

https://www.youtube.com/joshritter

I will leave you with "Stretching Wire" for this Friday Nite Music Video..., I already posted the lyrics up above...,

 

Friday Nite Check In

 Charlie Horse and his Bird Herd.  They are a pretty dedicated crew..., as long as he is grazing..., but if he takes a little break and snoozes..., they desert him pretty quickly.  It has been nearly two weeks now since our last significant rainfall..., the pastures are still green but it is starting to brown up in spots..., and likely to be a lot browner if the forecast for the next ten days stays dry..., and who knows how long after that.

The Hill Dirt in the Potato Garden is pretty much used up now.  I will be stringing out the hoses to add a little water in the near future.  There are a couple more 80 degree days in the forecast and several more in the 70 degree range.  Even the dandelions are hiding their heads in the heat of the day.  Those days will be getting shorter after the Summer Solstice this weekend..., but it will be a couple of months at least before those shorter days result in lower temperatures..., especially if those calls for a super charged El Niño pan out.

Back in the days before I left Idaho in 1987..., and starting sometime in the early 70's..., a bunch of us Old Hippies used to celebrate the Summer Solstice in style every summer..., with all night parties with kegs of beer..., and other assorted and varied substances..., and even live music on an occasion or two.  We always chose the weekend closest to the actual date..., and it was a special occasion when the date fell on a weekend.  The math tells me it has been close to 40 years now since I have celebrated that longest day..., but some of those special memories of special people..., that have survived those daze..., make it seem like it was yesterday...,

Which brings us to the Friday Nite Music Video..., Blackberry Smoke and "Like It Was Yesterday".

Lyrics

Have you ever seen the moon this big and this bright?
Look like I could reach up there and touch it tonight
Girl that I love holdin' onto me
I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be

I wanna feel like we got it made
Before tomorrow comes and takes it away
Lord, help me remember it like it was yesterday
Yeah

Now we got to turn loose every now and again
Got to run wild like we're livin' in sin
Set it and forget it like the other half do
Scratch it in the sand just for me and you

I wanna feel like we got it made
Before tomorrow comes and takes it away
Lord, help me remember it like it was yesterday
Yeah, yeah

I don't know where all the time goes
But I can see it with my eyes closed
I hope the clock is movin' slow tonight
We got to get it while the getting's alright

Well, I guess we signed up to spend most of our lives
Ekin' out a livin', just barely gettin' by
You can't take it with you, well, that's what they say
We'll all be empty-handed come judgement day

I wanna feel like we got it made
Before tomorrow comes and takes it away
Lord, help me remember it like it was yesterday
Yeah

Like it was yesterday
Oh, yeah
Like it was yesterday
Alright
Like it was yesterday
Mm, oh yeah

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Keith Nelson / Charles Webb Gray

Friday Nite Check In

 

The Potato Garden was in need of some "hilling up" of the plants..., and I had full intentions of taking care of that on Sunday.  The weather forecast was for some significant rainfall on Monday and Tuesday..., and I didn't want to wait for several days after that to do it..., but even some of the best laid plans can sometimes be laid aside.

My neighbor on the north side had bought the property to our east side..., and it included this "hazard tree" just across the road from our driveway entrance.  That's a big pine tree..., and as you can see..., they don't seem to like this climate and exhibit some unusual growth patterns.  In years past some of those big "branches" have decided to cut loose on their own..., one just missed the house..., and another had nearly blocked the whole Prairie's End Drive road..., and access to our driveway.  At the current time there was a big "limb" just hanging on and threatening to fall on some unfortunate sole under it.  I had visions of buying a box of double ought buck 12 gauge shotgun shells and trying to blow it off it's hanging perch before it fell on it's own..., but neighbor Dave Soha and his two sons in law and a very skilled and daring tree climber had other visions..., and when I visioned their efforts over my lap dog computer and coffee cup out my front window. it made me think maybe I could lend a little supervision to the effort.

I left the dogs in the house and wondered down in my sweats, unlaced tenny shoes, with my coffee cup in hand.  Having plenty of supervisory experience on his resume..., Charley Horse came along to the edge of the fence..., but soon took up a position further back under the apple tree after a couple of the "branches" were cut off by the tree climber.  I wish I could have got his name and shook his hand for a job well done..., but when I decided that I needed to change into my work cloths and boots and get my power saw and the old Tundra to help out...,  he had disappeared.  I could see that the clean up would be a lot easier if we got rid of the little limbs..., and my cut bank above the county road on our south side of the property can always use a little organic material to mix in with the horse manure that doesn't get used for Garden Compost.  I hauled..., metaphorically..., four "three log" loads of limbs.  Needlessly to say..., the Potato Plants did not get hilled up on Sunday.

We got the forecasted rain on Monday..., about 1.5 inches and just a bit more on Tuesday.  It was still too soggy to get any work done on Wednesday..., but I put away a good deal of hilling dirt on Thursday.  There is still some dirt at the back end of the rows and I will no doubt be trucking that a ways in the wheelbarrow for one more hilling episode in the near future.  The weather forecast is for 82 tomorrow and 85 on Sunday..., and 75 on Monday.  A bit cooler after that..., but no rain in the forecast for the foreseeable future.  If it wasn't for the Damn Daisies I might be able to just sit in the shade on the Front Porch with a Cold Beer in hand for a couple days..., and check on these flowers every once in a while.

Yeah..., I guess you could say that I am still crazy after all these years..., here's Cody Jinks for your Friday Nite Music Video..., 

Friday Nite Check In

 My nephew, Bert Spence was thoughful enough to send me pictures of my Grandniece and Grandnephew.  That is Hailey Kay on the left and Reid on the right.  This is Hailey Kay's first year of T-Ball..., and Reid's second year.  I have to say that I think Reid's batting stance this year is an improvement over last year.  Those medals hanging from their necks are for runner up to the Champs this year.  

I don't know if this was Hailey Kay's first hit..., but the expression on her face makes me think..., maybe.

She looks like she is ready to play defense too.

Reid looks like he is ready too, concentrating on the game and not letting anything distract him.

The news around The Ranch is..., it is hard to tell what is growing faster..., the Weeds or the Potatoes.  The Daisies and the Dandilions are starting to flower..., and those Buttercup things have never stopped.  I am not sure just which one takes more effort to keep control of..., but at least The Garden is ever so much smaller in acreage.  I hilled up the spuds again..., and after a couple of rain showers they are about ready for another dose.  I put the brush cutter blade on the weed eater and took care of some of the woody brush type things that were trying to make headway in the pastures..., while I was waiting on the arrival of a new string trimmer head.  My day long, feeble attempt to fashion a replacement "bump feeder plunger" on the original head resulted in the usual utter performance failure that my long history of mechanical exploits documents.  And on Friday I took delivery of the new head..., from Amazon.  I guess the original equipment folks were standing firm on their shipping cost of $20 for their $19 model that wore out in one season.  This new baby has a metal head on the bump feeder that does not rotate with the cutter head..., so I am hoping that is a better design feature for use on the gravel driveway.  I didn't test it out today due to one of those rain showers I mentioned earlier.  I didn't want to muddy up the new equipment..., and didn't want to have to admit to another failure on my part if things didn't go as hoped for 😀

I guess we have to go with John Fogerty and "Centerfield" again for your Friday Nite Music Video...,

Friday Nite Check In

 

The Potato Garden is looking good.  We got a nice little shower earlier in the week and the sunshine has been working it's magic since then.  

Charlie Horse thought it was about time to hill those puppies up a little..., and so did I...,  😀

So..., I got busy on Wednesday and moved a little dirt.  It looks like a lot of hill dirt left..., but at this point the base of the hill get expanded since that dirt rolls down hill..., making for a lot more dirt to raise the hills even a little.

The potato plants aren't the only thing looking good in The Garden..., and the flowering plants don't hold a candle to the weeds that are popping up.  The damn daisies are sprouting up..., but not flowering yet..., but I will be picking wheelbarrows full of flowers soon if I don't get more of those green sprouts pulled along with the yellow buttercup looking things that are trying to take control.  I spend a lot of time on my hands and knees pulling those and other assorted weeds.  Charlie Horse tries to help me..., but Logan thinks Charlie has other ideas and thinks he needs to protect me from Charlie's advances.  

I missed a day pulling weeds on Tuesday to make a Costco/Walmart run to Port Angeles.  I was out of dog food..., and since I don't have big dogs that require a ton of feed in the half ton Tacoma on a regular basis anymore..., I can't comment on the inflationary impact of that on the budget.  Back in those days the inflation gauge consisted of dog food and beer prices.  These days it is beer and rib steak.  Walmart still has my beer price at $20 a case..., and I was patting myself on that back after seeing that the Forks price had increased to $27 a case a couple of weeks ago.  I see on my weekly run today that my my savings were a bit over rated..., as the price was back down to $23 a case.  But I felt a little better when I saw that even though the price of Half and Half had jumped up about four bits a half gallon at Costco..., it was still about $2.50 cheaper than Forks.  I was surprised that several of the name brand gas stations in PA had breeched the $6 a gallon price..., and even Costco was $5.65..., about the average in Forks.  And those Rib Steaks are both $18.99 a pound today..., though last week they were on sale in Forks for $14.99.  Oh..., and don't go to Costco on Tuesday..., that must be Old Folks Day..., I was appalled  at first..., until I realized that I fit right in  😀

Speaking of inflation..., I nearly went postal right in the Post Office today..., when I opened the Direct TV bill.  I had a couple of reasons for opening it there..., I pretty much have to pay a couple of bills the day I get them at the Post Office and take my checkbook and stamps..., because I only go once a week.  If I miss a bill by a week and then take it home and wait another week to get the bills mailed off..., it will pretty likely be late and incur a late fee.  The other reason was I always get an email notification from Direct TV..., trying to induce me to start using an automatic payment plan..., and this email said the bill was going to be $206 dollars !!!  It is usually "just" $140.  I had racked my brain for most of this week to try to remember how the hell I had watched that may pay per views..., or if I had accidentally subscribed to some "extra" service to increase my bill that much.  Well..., the reason I would have gone postal if I had been carrying a gun..., was..., that was just how much my bill was going to be from now on..., because my two year promise of the low rate had expired and this was the new rate !!!  I haven't read the fine print of the contract..., but I am thinking that I can't just cancel now without incurring some sort of penalty for doing so...,  😢

I guess I should have posted this one from James McMurtry for the Friday Nite Music Video last week..., a little closer to the Memorial Day Weekend..., though back in the day it used to be observed on May 30th.  I really like this one from the point of view of a young kid...,

Friday Nite Check In

 This is a picture of the dismantled washing machine about four years ago.  I was able to repair and use it until this week..., when it developed a water leak that my limited mechanical ability was unable to stop.  I did spend most of a day trying to clean it up..., and that was almost enough to swear off hairy pets.  I have saved you the horror..., yeah the horror...,  of viewing pictures of that mess.  I put it back together..., but the clean up didn't solve the water leak.  I loaded it up in the Tundra for deposit at the dump today on my weekly trip to town..., along with a propane tank to fill and a tire off the Tacoma that had a slow air leak that needed professional mechanical skills as well.  

I am happy to report that the folks at the dump were happy to see me and take the old washer off my hands and out of my Tundra for a mere $10..., and I was happy to find out that the price of propane has not jumped up in price like that liquid gas has.  The leaky tire problem could have cost me a pretty penny ..., if I had opted for a new fancy tire pressure sensor mounted in the tire..., but I chose to live with the low tire pressure idiot light on the dashboard and had the man install an old two dollar rubber airer upper unit in the tire.  I will have to consult my mechanical nephew..., A.J. Spence..., over in Idaho to find out if there is a way to disable the damn low tire pressure idiot light.  I mean I am 74 years old and have been driving since I was 14 and this is the first time I have had deal with low tire pressure idiot lights..., so I think I just may be able to live without them for the rest of my life with a minimum of trouble.

As for that wash machine replacement..., I think I can live without a new fangled computer operated unit that costs more than the washer/dryer combination when we purchased them nearly 30 years ago.  Luckily for me, my step son Jess had a unit that was the same model as my old one that seems to be in great shape..., and he just wanted to get rid of it..., and even delivered it and helped me install it.

I wish I had as good of luck with my weed eater.  That gravel driveway eats up line pretty fast..., and that necessitated hitting that bump thingy pretty often to feed more line.  Well..., the gravel ate up the plunger mechanism.  I can still feed more line by hand..., but that is a bit of a hassle.  The company only offers the full unit for sale..., at $18.95..., they informed me via email..., and do not offer the parts I needed.  I started to fill out the order form and it said "We don't ship to PO Box addresses"..., so I assumed that it would be shipped Fed Ex or UPS..., so I entered our physical address.  I have had problems in the past with this type of address confusion because we don't have mail delivered to our physical address..., we get it at the Post Office.  I thought well of the company for noting the distinction.  That thought didn't last long..., as the shipping cost and method was generated as "shipping by USPS and costing $19.99".  I exited the order form and replied to the email asking WTF..., in more appropriated language that that..., how they could ship via USPS and not ship to a PO Box?  And stated that the $19.99 shipping charge was totally out of line.  I didn't state it in the email..., but I get 20 pound bags of cat food from Amazon via the post office and I am sure that Jeff Bezos is not paying over $19.99 for every bag he ships to me..., and that trimmer head is way, way, less weight.  I am not expecting any reply from "the company".

That's about it for this week..., except for your Friday Nite Music Video from Corb Lund...,

One, two, three, four

The consumer, they call us
We're the people that buy
While everyone else is out to sell
Some kind of merchandise
We run to the boss and tell him
We need a bit more gold
Some tax deductions later
We still wind up in a hole

Oh yes, we are the people

Running in the race
Buying up the bargains
In the old marketplace
Another sale on something
Let's buy it while it's hot
And we'll save a lot of money
Spending money we don't got
We'll save a lot of money
Spending money we don't got

The consumer, they call us
We always get a fair shake
We buy a fridge that doesn't freeze
And a stove that doesn't bake
We can't buy nothing lasting
'Less we get that raise in pay
They'd only charge us more
For the things that cost us less today
The consumer, they call us
We're fussy of what we eat
We look at the price of T-bone steak
And buy hamburg meat
And all them fancy packages
We take down from the shelf
They're always full of good fresh air
When they ain't full of nothing else

Oh yes, we are the people
Running in the race
Buying up the bargains
In the old marketplace
Another sale on something
Let's buy it while it's hot
And we'll save a lot of money
Spending money we don't got
We'll save a lot of money
Spending money we don't got

The consumer, they call us

When the man comes in the door
To give us a deal on a vacuum
When we buy a rug for the floor
And how do we pay the finance
When the monthly bills arrive?
They just send down the bailiff
To repossess the car we drive
The consumer's what they call us
We're always deep in debt
From buying drawers in discount stores
To fixing the TV set
We go to the bank for the money
And sign for another loan
Pray the Lord doesn't see us stop
At the tavern halfway home

Oh yes, we are the people
Running in the race
Buying up the bargains
In the old marketplace
Another sale on something
Let's buy it while it's hot
And we'll save a lot of money
Spending money we don't got
We'll save a lot of money
Spending money we don't got
And we'll save a lot of money
Spending money we don't got

Friday Nite Check In

 We got a nice dose of rain on Thursday..., and I think the potato plants will be showing even more appreciation for it in the days to come..., and I will be hilling them up a little after it drys out a bit.  It has been a good couple of weeks now that we have been warm and dry..., the rest of The Ranch will be just a greatfull as The Garden for these May showers.  The forecast for Thursday only called for "less than a tenth inch" of rain..., but we got four tenths..., and another eight tenths on Friday.  I was a bit concerned that a couple of the roof rattling cloud bursts might have pounded those tiny plants into the ground..., but they were standing tall when I checked in the late afternoon.  The forecast for tomorrow is for "slight chance of showers".  That shouldn't hurt anything..., considering what happened a few years back.

This is a picture from 5/12/22..., when the spuds were just starting to show themselves.  At that time I was figuring on a "crop failure"..., 

..., but luckily they pulled out of it and on 9/21/22 I was harvesting potatoes !!!

Here's a batch of seed potatoes from that crop.  It was far from the best crops we have had over the years..., but considering the expectations I had after "the flood"..., I can't complain.

All that rain did put my Back Porch roofing project to the test..., and I am happy to report that me and the kitties now have a dry porch and no more drip pans to stumble over.  

Before the rain showers this week I managed to spruce things up a little..., some weed eating..., pulled the ferns and grass and sticker bushes out from around the decorative rocks around the Little Pond..., and cleaned a couple of water troughs...., and yeah..., the patch on my bathtub in the Northwest 40 has been holding water.

The grocery run today put a little smile on my face..., the $5.90 gas station was down to $5.76..., the Rib Steaks were down to $14.99 a pound..., and the $27 case of beer was back down to $23..., I would like to hope the trend will continue..., but realistically I think that would just be wishful thinking..., WTI crude oil was up to $105 last time I checked today.  So..., to repeat myself..., I can't complain.

Which brings us to the Friday Nite Music Video..., a song that I have used a couple times already..., with a differnt video of Cody Jinks and "I Can't Complain".

Friday Nite Check In - Happy Birthday in Heaven Julie

 Hey Babe..., wishing you a Happy Birthday up there in Heaven..., hope they have a good WiFi connection to view a couple of videos of Charlie Horse and some pictures of The Ranch this year.

I still haven't mastered..., or even come close to mastering the movie function on the Digital Camera..., and you can't hardly see the "view finder" thing unless the light is just right.

I guess Charlie is saying, "That's enough..., if you didn't get it on the camera..., it's your fault."

The Potato Garden is looking good.  I may have to string the hoses out to do a little watering..., we have had a very unusual dry spell for this time of year..., and the forecast is for it to continue in this manner for the foreseeable future.

The Japanese Empress tree..., that was a gift from some friends and one of the first things we planted when The Ranch was still just The Property..., has some beautiful purple flowers and the Monkey Tail Tree is still growing.

The Rhody at the Pet Cemetery is almost in full bloom.

These two of our four apple trees are looking the best.

The trees are showing really good growth sprouts again this year.

I even got the grass weed eatted out of The Driveway.

I guess everything can't be all rosey..., Little Bindy isn't doing so well.  I wrote about her little "journey" back on the 7/4/25 FNCI and how she was a mile or two down the blacktop road.  I think she had gone looking for you..., and it did happen again but I caught her before she got that far.  Her little legs aren't working very well now and I guess she has realized that she is going to have to earn her wings to track you down now..., and I am afraid that it won't be long.  So keep your eyes peeled for her to show up soon and join you and Khoel, Jenny, Bear, Cinnamon, Matty, Smokey, Little Big Ed and Hawchie for a big reunion.

Me and Logan and Che are doing great and plan to be around here on The Ranch for a while yet..., so here's your Friday Nite Music Video..., and once again..., Happy Birthday.

Lyrics

Good times come and then they go
The rain will fall the wind will blow
Through it all you gotta know
I'll do what I can do
To protect you right or wrong
Heal the hurt 'til the hurt is gone
I'll be right where I belong
I'll be here for you

I'll be here
When the sky turns gray
The sun goes blind
And the moon won't stay
I'll be the light to guide your way
Onto some place new
I'll be here
When the crowd is gone
The last note fades on the very last song
I'll be the road to take you home
I'll be here for you

When your star falls from the sky
And your wings don't want to fly
Just remember I'm standing by
To help to see you through
'Cause better days
Will come again
Clouds will break,
Your heart will mend
I'll be where I've always been
I'll be here for you

I'll be here
When the sky turns gray
The sun goes blind
And the moon won't stay
I'll be the light to guide your way
Onto some place new
I'll be here
When the crowd is gone
The last note fades on the very last song
I'll be the road to take you home
I'll be here for you

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Robert Earl Keen

Friday Nite Check In

 I have only been putting this project off for..., oh..., five or six years I guess.  The house fire was in late January 2020..., "luckily" only the roof got destroyed, though there was a lot of smoke, ash and water damage as well.  This Back Porch was partially enclosed with clear plastic sheeting on the walls and roof..., and the section of the roof close to the house suffered some melting.  So as a "temporary" fix I fashioned some feed sacks other plastic pieces to direct the rain water from the roof to the side of the house where it would not collect on the floor of The Porch.  Last week in the FNCI I mentioned that the weather forecast was for dry and warm weather for the next week..., and my three resident kitties..., and their friends thought maybe it would be a good time to initiate a more permanent "fix" so we wouldn't have to stumble over the various pots and pans that were strategically placed under the various drips.  

Above are the damaged pieces that I had to remove.  All those clear plastic pieces made for a nice green house effect that Julie made use of to grow tomatoes there for a couple years..., but I didn't need a green house, so I used mostly tin and just a few pieces of the clear plastic to let in a bit more light in the replacement roof.

Getting the roof replaced was bad enough..., but cleaning up kitty hair is a thankless effort..., as is cleaning off the accumulation of many years of pollen, moss and mildew build up.

That wasn't the only project that the damned nice weather called for.  I patched a hole in the bathtub..., no not in the house..., the one in the Northwest 40 pasture that I use as a water trough for Charlie Horse.  I thought it was just a little pencil size hole at first glance..., but a little probing enlarged it by a wide margin.  I have my fingers crossed that the patch will hold.  I fired up the lawn mower for the Little Puppy Yard out by The Saddle Bar(n)..., and touched it up with The Weed Eater..., then moved on to The Big Back Yard..., then on to The Gravel Driveway.  I got a good chunk of driveway done before I ran out of gas..., and The Weed Eater as getting low on gas too..., I think 😀

Somewhere in between all that I managed to get the regular chores done and even pulled some scotch broom and washed the Tacoma..., the Tundra is a future project..., and the damn weather forecast may make it the not too distant future.

Today was fairly easy..., mail and grocery run.  $5.90 a gallon at the first gas station in town..., the other two are a bit slower..., but not for long I suspect.  I have mentioned that I usually load up on Walmart beer to save $3.00 a case when I go to Port Angeles..., and if Wally hasn't raised his prices I will now be saving $7.00 a case over the Forks prices.  I did manage to nab a half price Rib Steak ($11..., use today or freeze).  I did have to pay full price for my other one. 

 

For your Friday Nite Music Video I have several reasons for picking this one by Josh Ritter.  He grew up in Moscow, ID and I have several of his CD's.  This one has some lyrics of Idaho rivers..., though we always called The Lolo a "creek" and not a river..., and I tend to think of the Priest and the Payette as lakes more than rivers..., but the Snake and the Salmon are famous to more people than just Idaho folks.  And the last reason for choosing this song is..., I once wrote some song lyrics of my own called, "One More Mountain to Climb..., One More River to Run" and posted it here on the blog.

..., One More River to Run

Here's the link to Josh Ritter and "One More River to Cross"  I don't think that it is included on any album yet.

Lyrics: The Chacos, the Brazos, the wide Rio Grande, One more river to cross, The Rogue running green through a cottonwood stand, One more river to cross, I’ve tried to be good for most of my life, And never do wrong when I knew what was right, So when I cross over my heart will be light One more river to cross. I was twelve when I first crossed the Cumberland Gap, One more river to cross, And except for in memory, I’ve never looked back, One more river to cross, The Snake and the Salmon, The Priest, the Payette, The Lolo, the Bravo, the San Bernadette, I’m tired but I still got one left in me yet, One more river to cross. My one true companion is carrying me, One more river to cross, And when I cross over, he’ll go roaming free, One more river to cross, Out where the paints and the ponies run wild, Through endless green valleys, ‘til one day he finds, A river and crossing it back to my side, One more river to cross.