Surprise Your Host!

My family and I were invited to the neighbors for supper a few weeks ago.  They had several other guests visiting from around the state.  It was a fine meal, the company was good, and we had a great time.

Now, my neighbors are retired from the Navy, and most of their friends are city folk.  I have enjoyed meeting many of them, but they do not quite know what to think of me at first.  I wear nothing but bibbed overalls all the time.  Well, occasionally I will wear shorts while fishing, but even then I mostly wear my bibs.  Those who first meet me seem to get the impression I am some dumb country boy, and mostly they are right.  I am not up on the latest dining etiquette as I do not follow Miss Manner's articles, but I try to eat with my mouth closed and keep my elbows off the table.  Sometimes I catch myself with elbows on the table.  Usually after a bit, though, my new acquaintances get used to me and find I can carry on a conversation about most anything they want to talk about so long as it isn't algebra or trigonometry.

A few days before my dining invitation I had bought a bag of coconut.  Now, you might think I am a lover of coconut, or perhaps I had some recipe to use it in, but you would be wrong on both counts.  Actually, I like to chew tobacco, but to give my mouth a break from it once in a while, I will get a bag of shredded coconut to chew on.  It has the same texture as my brand of tobacco which is in fine cut grains.  I like chewing on it.  Literally.  When I use the coconut I don't have to spit however.

So there I was sitting at the head of the table with high society Debs on either side.  I had done broke the ice and had them laughing over stories and we were getting along fine.  The main course was over and our hostess went to bring out the dessert.  She had lemon meringue pie, a big raspberry cake with white icing, and something else I can not recall.  It probably was not very good or I would remember it.  But let me say that she is a wonderful cook, and in the past several years of eating her cooking I bet she only made two things I did not like.  Actually, it was three.  That is still pretty good odds though.

I was asked what I would like and I said I would have a piece of cake and a small slice of pie.  I do not get invited out very much so I like to take advantage of everything that is offered, you know.  The plate was passed around the table to me, and I politely waited until everyone else had their dessert before digging in, an act totally unobserved by everyone there I might add.  Some of them began eating right away, so any reservations on my part about fine dining etiquette was completely unfounded.  Once the hostess was seated I said something to gain everyone's attention.  I cannot recall now what I said.  Maybe it was, "burp, excuse me" or something.  Anyway, once they all looked at me I pulled the bag of coconut from my front bibs pocket and politely asked, "Would anyone like some coconut to go with their dessert?"

The hostess's eyes bugged out and her jaw dropped open and I could see the food in her mouth.  How un-bon appetite!  As I sprinkled some onto my cake one girl asked me what I was doing with coconut in my pocket.  How rude!  Another laughed out loud.  How impolite!  My wife rolled her eyes and said, "Oh, my god."  I don't know what her problem was.  Still, I did not let their offensive behavior have effect on my good manners.  I held out the bag and asked again if anyone would like some.  They all declined.   Their loss.  I neatly rolled up the bag and returned it to my pocket.  Regardless of how anyone else chooses to act, I refuse to act indecently at the dinner table.

Next time I go over there for dinner I think I am going to take a pipe wrench.  I wonder how they will pass that test?    

Fishing the New River

I had plans to go fishing this week with my neighbor on the New River, but an infection cropped up in my body and I did not feel very well and we ended up canceling.   We were looking forward to catching some bass and maybe a big catfish.  Hopefully I will be better in a few days and we can try again.

Another friend who fishes that section told us there were a whole bunch of muskie in the area.  He has been fishing there just about everyday and knows the places they lay in wait for their prey.  I have never caught a muskie before, but it sounds like I have a good chance at it there.

The New River is a fairly large river.  Like the Nile River it runs north instead of south.  I grew up fishing the section of the river that flows through Giles County in Virginia.  I also paddled canoes and kayaks in my younger days.  Back then I loved paddling more than fishing, and would travel miles at a time from one town to the next just enjoying the trip.  I was pretty good at rolling my kayak.  Anytime I flipped it over I could turn it back up right.  Some days when it was very hot I would roll it over on purpose to cool down.

One section of the river has more citation fish caught from it than any other stream in Virginia.  Seems I heard that over 50% of all citations in the state came from there.  Smallmouth bass are my favorite fish to catch.  They put up a great fight for their size, leaping from the water as they attempt to throw the hook.  There are largemouth bass in certain sections too, and I have caught a few although they were small.  Channel catfish and mudcats are the two main species of catfish on the river though occasionally a blue catfish will be caught.  The other day some guys caught one over 50 pounds where we were going to fish, but there are some in there much bigger.  Rock bass, also called red eyes, are plentiful.  They get about ten to twelve inches and are chunky little fighters.  Bluegill are scattered here and there, and in certain areas there are walleyes.  I have never caught one of those either, and I hear they are one of the best tasting fish you can eat.

The downside to fishing in the New River is some fish are not good to eat.  The river is contaminated with chemical deposits, and it is recommended that a person eat only one portion of fish a month from  bottom feeders like carp and catfish.  The bass are affected in some areas too.  I do not eat a lot of fish, but it would be nice to be able to eat what you catch on occasion.  Still, the fish themselves seem not to have much adverse reaction to the chemicals as they are flourishing very well.  I still hate that the river is contaminated though.  I often wonder if spending all those summer days as a teenager and young adult wading and swimming in the river did not have something to do with giving me leukemia.  You never know.

Since I moved to an adjoining county fifteen years ago I do most of my fishing on the New River from the Claytor Lake dam down through Radford to the Giles County border.  I usually catch quite a few nice bass during a day of fishing.  My favorite bait to use is a purple and black rubber worm.  I run the hook through it dead center so the ends dangle down on both ends.  This is called a "whacky rig" by most fishermen.  I cast it to a likely spot and just let it sink.  Usually if there is a bass near by it will nail it almost immediately.  If nothing happens I slowly reel it in which sometimes gets a strike.  I also like to throw it into moving water and let the current take it downstream.  I have caught a lot of bass which were in the rapids waiting on an easy meal to float to them.  I also have a "secret weapon" that was taught to me by a river captain who guides fishermen for a living.  It is perfectly legal, but I do not tell what it is to just anyone.  One day four of us were fishing and the other three caught five citation smallmouth bass with that technique.  It was the first time I had tried it, and I did not get anything.  Later I figured out I probably had two nice bass on my line a couple of times, but being inexperienced did not realize the bass hit that bait differently than they do most other kinds.  I know what to expect now.  That particular bait is good for catching catfish too.  Now if I can just figure out how to catch a muskie.    

Went Fishing Today

I went fishing with my neighbor today.  His name is Jeff also.  I swear he was born with a lucky horseshoe.  We have fished this certain reservoir several times in the past three years.  I have never caught more than two fish there, usually tiny crappie or bluegill.  Our first trip there Jeff caught a six pound bass.  Today he caught a muskie.  Several years ago we fished while in Florida and he caught a ten pound bass.  I have never caught a big bass, or a muskie.  Still, I am tickled when he catches a good fish.  Just don't let him know that!  That is Jeff with his muskie in the picture.   We released it unharmed back into the lake, so hopefully it will grow up and get to be a huge monster.  We almost always practice catch and release except occasionally we will keep a catfish or some crappie to eat.

It was a good day to be on the water.  The weather was great and very few other boaters were on the water.  We also saw four carp about three to four feet long and a catfish about the same length.  I tried my best to catch that cafish, but he wouldn't bite.  I found out later this evening that when carp are spawning it is hard to catch fish like bass and catfish because they are eating the carp eggs.  Maybe the Next time we go we will have better luck.  Well, maybe I will have better luck!

CORRECTION:  I just found out the fish in the above picture was not a muskie.  It is actually a pike!  Never have caught one of those either, so we are not disappointed.  :)

Little Ben

      A friend on a forum I frequent suggested I name my new Golden Retriever Ben, and I think that fits him pretty good.  Kat said she would like to see some more pictures of Ben, so I took some more today. 
      The first thing I attempted to do was take some pictures of Ben with a roll of toilet paper, the idea was to emulate the Charmin commercial with the Golden puppy.  Well, let me tell you, that is easier said than done.  I set Ben on a blanket with a roll of TP and started snapping pictures.  That little booger went off on the Charmin and tore it to shreds!  I took over 25 pictures, but he was moving around so fast most of them came out blurry. LOL.  Up until then I could have used his picture as a definition of "Laid Back."
      So then I took him outside.  He ran through the grass, jumped over landscape timbers, tried to dig up an ants nest under a stump, "attacked" Cody's tail (my German Shepherd), and chewed up some flowers.  He did all this in about 30 seconds.  Then he did it all again!  I got a few good pictures of him during this time of which I put a couple below.
      Ben is plumb tuckered out after all that play, and he is laying between my feet which he has been doing since I brought him home.  I like the little feller.  :)

     

I Guess I'll Give It Another Try!

My wife and daughter gave me an early birthday/Father's Day present.  A little Golden Retriever puppy!  It is even AKC registered.  I was wanting a female, but the breeders only had one male left.  When they heard I wanted one to help me since I am disabled they even came down on the price, which was very nice of them.  So we went and got it today.  I just posted yesterday I was thinking about getting one, and now here I am with one.

He is a lot different than a German Shepherd!   He is not hyper at all.  He doesn't try to chew my hand to shreds or go running berserk everywhere.  It was an hour long ride back from where we picked him up, but he didn't have any poopin' or pukin' accidents.  He just sat calmly in my lap or on the back seat.  I hope that is a good sign!  The parents were are the premises and they were very friendly, good looking dogs.

Well, hopefully I can teach him a few things.  Especially fetch!  

Looking For A New Puppy

I started looking for a new puppy this week.  Although German Shepherds are my favorite breed, I am thinking of getting a Golden Retriever this time.  Or perhaps a Golden Retriever/German Shepherd mix.  As time goes on and I find myself slowly becoming less able to get around, having a dog to bring me things seems more beneficial.  Golden Retrievers naturally fetch with just a little encouragement.  German Shepherds, in my experience, are not so easy to train for that.  Well, actually, they are easy to train to fetch, but after a while they just refuse to do it.

I have only had one Shepherd that would consistently fetch for me.  His name was Ranger, and he would bring me anything I wanted.  I could get him to bring me a stick, a ball, or even my boots.  Once I shot an arrow and lost it, and Ranger found it and brought it to me.  When he was just about six months old I was standing outside and the wind blew a Walmart bag out of the back of my truck.  It went blowing across the yard and I pointed and said, "Get that bag!"  Ranger took off, grabbed it and brought it to me.  He was such a good boy.  Everything he did was to please me.

With all the other Shepherds I've had, however, fetching seems to be beneath them.  Cody, the male I have now, knows exactly what I want him to do, but he refuses.  I can toss something and tell him to fetch it, and he will go pick it up.  But then he drops it and walks off defiantly.  He will do most anything else I tell him, but fetch is not one of them.  I have talked with others who own German Shepherds and this seems to be the norm.

I did find some mixed Labrador/German Shepherd mix pups for sale in an ad.  I have never been much of a Labrador fan.  They are beautiful dogs, and they will fetch, but they just never appealed to me.  It is one of those things I cannot really put my finger on.  Still, I thought perhaps a Lab mixed with German Shepherd might have the qualities I would like.  When I called about those pups, however, they had already been sold.  

I still think about Erin the little Shepherd I had to let go.  She will grow into a beautiful dog.  Whether she ever would have fetched or not I do not know.  I probably would not have cared if she did not.  But she is gone, and I am ready to find a replacement.  A Golden Retriever seems to be what my heart is set on, so that is what I will look for.  I have found some purebred AKC Goldens for sale but I cannot afford them.  I will keep looking.  Something may turn up before long.

Some Deer Pictures From Last Fall

Here are some pictures I got when I set out a trail camera last fall on my property.  The doe was walking along one of the creeks that runs through my place.   This fellow below came by my tower blind one night.  That is also him in a the other picture.  Evidently the camera going off startled him causing him to whirl away.  

If Only I'd Had My Camera!

No, I was not sitting in my wildlife blind.  Actually, I was waiting in the car at the supermarket for my daughter to pick up some stuff.  Out of nowhere came two little white haired ladies across the parking lot side by side both pushing shopping carts toward the store.  They were shuffling so slowly along it took me a minute to realize--THEY WERE RACING!   Neck and neck they whizzed along in slow motion, going every bit of 1/2 mph.  Each had a look of determination, and when one got a little bit ahead, the other gave her a dirty look and poured it on to catch up.  Then the other got an inch ahead and the other one stepped it up.

I did not get to see who won.  They had not even got close to the store when my daughter came out.  It was hilarious.  Man, if I could have put that on You Tube, I'd be getting a lot of hits right now.  :D

Anyone Can Comment Now!

It will take me a while longer to get used to all the technical things I can do with this blog.  I was just going through my settings and realized that I had not enabled the comments to be available to everyone and anyone.  That takes half the fun out of having a blog if you can't get some feedback!  I wonder how many people have tried to leave a message and could not?  Oh, well, maybe they will come back and see they can.

Today's Appointment at Blue Ridge Cancer Care

I had an appointment at Blue Ridge Cancer Care today for a check up.  As I have noted before, I have chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).   Gleevec is the medication I take which keeps me alive. It is working very well for me, keeping it in remission.  

I took my camera with me today and snapped some pictures.  Above is Vanessa and Debra, the two nurses who I have the pleasure of seeing most every visit.  They are two sweethearts.  And pretty too!  As you can see we goof around with each other when I visit.  I sure appreciate them.

Here is a picture of my oncologist, Dr. Goldsmidt.  He is a great guy, and the best doctor I have ever had.  We get along great.  Well, except for when he had to drill a hole in my butt to get a bone marrow sample and I told him he was pain in my a**.  HA!

The black fox squirrel he is holding is one I personally mounted several years ago.  I made a little rod and reel for it to hold, and put a miniature creel over the shoulder so it appears to be fishing.  I donated it to Dr. Goldsmidt to keep in his office.  Having cancer is serious business, but I hope when patients see the little fishing squirrel it will take their mind off their condition for a minute and give them a smile. 

 

Erin Update

I just got the story of losing Erin posted a few minutes ago when I got a call from the lady at Virginia Tech who adopted her and performed the surgery.  The operation on her bones was a success, though a follow up emergency surgery was needed Saturday night for a hernia.  Erin is doing very well, and after talking with the lady I know she is going to have a good home.  

It Has Been a Sad Few Days

I lost my new little German Shepherd puppy last Wednesday.  I had been doing everything I could to keep little Erin safe, yet in one moment she crippled up beyond my ability to have her fixed up.  I asked my daughter to move the truck forward a few feet so I could let down my tailgate, and in those few seconds Erin ran up under the tire and was run over.  I could tell she was hurt bad, and My daughter and I took her to the Virginia Tech Veterinarian School to be looked at.  Ended up her little pelvis was broke in several places and one leg was broke into three parts.  I was told the operation to fix her would run $25oo dollars.  I do not have that kind of money.  

So I asked them if it were possible, could they attemp to find someone who could afford to have her fixed and I would adopt her out to that person.  If not, she would have to be put to sleep.  They agreed.  So with broken hearts, we left Erin in their care knowing we would never see her again.  I hate it very much for my daughter.  She took it very personally even though it was not her fault.  I know she will be okay, but it does not make these little life lessons any easier to bear.   

Some good news that came out of all this occurred Friday morning.  I received a call from Virginia Tech and a fourth year graduate student from the veterinarian school wanted to repair the damage and adopt her.  I agreed.  So, although I no longer have Erin as my own, at least I know she will be well taken care of.  I am sure she will make a great dog.  She was so confident and brave in all her actions.  It will take a while for me to get over the ordeal.  I still have chew marks on my hands where I was playing with her last week.  

The picture above is the last one I took of Erin.  She rode with me up to my tower blind one morning and I let her play around.

One last note about the people at Virginia Tech.  They were some of the nicest people I ever met.  One doctor in particular was so compassionate it touched me deeply.  I do not want to give her name until I get permission from her to do so, and will update if she agrees.  This lady was standing outside waiting on us as we pulled in and came running over to carry Erin in for us.  She kept us updated as they worked with Erin, and she along with the staff were very supportive of us during the hard decisions we had to make.   

Life is full of what if's and wishing we done something a little different, especially when it involves the loss of something that means a lot to us.  All we can do is learn from those events and hope some good comes out of it all.   Meeting some compassionate people was some of the good that came out of this one.