D-League

[cordmaker]

Good morning D, cold here in the Berg to, 19!

We got up early and went out for a few, saw one huge fireball and a smaller one, plus a satellite.

Got a hot chocolate recipe for the D

2 cups powdered sugar sifted
2 cups Instant Non Fat Dry Milk Powder
2 cups Powdered Non-Dairy Coffee Creamer
2 cups Powdered Chocolate Milk Mix
2 cups mini-Marshmallows
Combine all of this then use 1/4 cup per mug Good stuff!!!!

OC was watching the weather Channel, they are say Winter Storm Gail headed your way!!!

I finished my last two TRL's yesterday and ask GOD to keep me busy, got a call last night 8:30 for an order for another TRL for a Fireman in Owensboro, went ahead a painted it last night and will be ready to put together in a couple days! Still trying to come up with something for Military Vets especially retired VETS!!! Any ideas would be appreciated. I thought about MILITARY ribbons, just don't know. Drew up plans foe smaller ones to hang on trees, going to cut on out today to see how difficult it is going to be working with the smaller pieces.

I hope the D has a great day and prayers for the D, praying for you BEV!!!!!

 

[cordmaker]

I have a question for you MILITARY VETS, do you immediately know where someone has served by looking at their service ribbon?

 

[Sawnee Cat]

Good morning D League

Our local weather station is located on Pine Island and they are reporting 52° with sunshine and only a 5% chance of rain. We will get up to 68° and our winds are WNW at 7 mph. Should be a pleasant day on the Gulf Coast.

This morning I had two good sized deer in my back yard for about 15 minutes. They don't usually hang around for over a minute or two.. After a refreshing drink from the lake they hung around and were enjoying something to eat out back as they grazed through the yard.

Our governor is on top of the COVID vaccine and in a few days all health care workers and nursing home patients will be vaccinated, if they want it. I trust all have a great day.

Pine Island Sunset

 

[AustinTXCat]

I have a question for you MILITARY VETS, do you immediately know where someone has served by looking at their service ribbon?

Yes, usually. Post or point out and I might be able to look-up.

 

[Sawnee Cat]

I am headed over to Cedar Key this afternoon to pick up about 25 lbs of Gulf Shrimp, fresh off of the boat. They are cleaned and ready for the freezer.

I will give you a tip if you want an excellent family run seafood restaurant with the freshest, best served meals that were swimming in the Gulf the night before. They have an unbelievable all you can eat platter for $13.95. Shrimp, oysters, crabs you name it.

Great fresh fish market - Review of Robinson's Seafood, Cedar Key, FL - Tripadvisor

Robinson's Seafood: Great fresh fish market - See 274 traveler reviews, 45 candid photos, and great deals for Cedar Key, FL, at Tripadvisor.

www.tripadvisor.com

 

[cordmaker]

Yes, usually. Post or point out and I might be able to look-up.

ATX, I was just looking around trying to find something related to retired MILITARY VETS and ran across service ribbons and how each one was made different. That just got me to thinking if there was a retired ribbon given to those who served and retired. Just great respect for those who have served!!!!

 

[MdWIldcat55]

Good morning D-League. I hope all is well with all y'all.

Slow days here - just working and taking walks and waiting for the kids to come in from Austin and Lexington for Christmas.

My son - our youngest - turns 21 today. There are lots of moments when it feels like you closae out a chapter in life. Certainly he's not been a child for a while, and has been living away from home for more than three years. But with his official adulthood, I guess it closes the book on my years raising children. As you fathers and mothers know, that's a job that never ends, but all my kids are certified adults now.

 

[OHIO COLONEL]

I am headed over to Cedar Key this afternoon to pick up about 25 lbs of Gulf Shrimp, fresh off of the boat. They are cleaned and ready for the freezer.

I will give you a tip if you want an excellent family run seafood restaurant with the freshest, best served meals that were swimming in the Gulf the night before. They have an unbelievable all you can eat platter for $13.95. Shrimp, oysters, crabs you name it.

Great fresh fish market - Review of Robinson's Seafood, Cedar Key, FL - Tripadvisor

Robinson's Seafood: Great fresh fish market - See 274 traveler reviews, 45 candid photos, and great deals for Cedar Key, FL, at Tripadvisor.

www.tripadvisor.com

Use to travel to Savannah and New Orleans quite a bit. On almost every trip I would get fresh shrimp right off the boat. In Savannah I'd go right to the shrimp boats as they were coming in...tell them what I wanted and they'd pack it up right there on the boat. In N.O. there would be trucks off the side of the road on the way out to the airport selling it in the bed of the truck packed (dry ice) and ready to go.

Couple times bought fresh lobster in the Logan Airport (Boston) where they would do the same thing. Pack in dry ice and you'd take it on board with you.

 

[AustinTXCat]

ATX, I was just looking around trying to find something related to retired MILITARY VETS and ran across service ribbons and how each one was made different. That just got me to thinking if there was a retired ribbon given to those who served and retired. Just great respect for those who have served!!!!

For Army retirees, I'm not aware of any. There is an Army Service Ribbon.

 

[Sawnee Cat]

The year was 1962, before global warming. I remember my grandmother told me we were entering the ice age. She did not have any heat in her house, didn't need it. Needless to say she lost most of the grove. They fired them up but 18 degrees was a little too much. Her brother in law lived in Plant City, FL and he said it was 12 degrees on his farm

 

[UK_fan_41102]

 

[cordmaker]

For Army retirees, I'm not aware of any. There is an Army Service Ribbon.

Thanks Austin, the only thing I can think of was maybe red, white, blue strips of glass about 1" wide and about 5" long, in colors with which ever branch of service they served in, like for example green for Army at the top or bottom. Still would like to figure out something for VETS!!!!

 

[Sawnee Cat]

Use to travel to Savannah and New Orleans quite a bit. On almost every trip I would get fresh shrimp right off the boat. In Savannah I'd go right to the shrimp boats as they were coming in...tell them what I wanted and they'd pack it up right there on the boat. In N.O. there would be trucks off the side of the road on the way out to the airport selling it in the bed of the truck packed (dry ice) and ready to go.

Couple times bought fresh lobster in the Logan Airport (Boston) where they would do the same thing. Pack in dry ice and you'd take it on board with you.

I did the same thing OHIO COLONEL. I picked them up at Legal Seafood at Logan and they packed them in ice for my flight back home. Here are a couple we fixed for supper.

 

[AustinTXCat]

Thanks Austin, the only thing I can think of was maybe red, white, blue strips of glass about 1" wide and about 5" long, in colors with which ever branch of service they served in, like for example green for Army at the top or bottom. Still would like to figure out something for VETS!!!!

Try same colors as National Defense Service Medal. Most service members from all branches qualify.

 

[Bert Higginbotha]

I woke up to a cold clear morning in Smiths Grove. It was down to 27°F and still is only up to 30.7°. It is supposed to rain again tomorrow but we are south of the snow forcasts.

On cemeteries:

That is one of my big loves. For years I busted my butt to document the Smith Grove cemetery. It is owned and run by the city and because of that I wrote a very strict Ordinance in order to preserve it.

The Higginbotham Buckingham Cemetery that I visited Friday is basically cut off from the world because of the creation of Mammoth Cave and Park Mammoth resort. It is in horrible shape and it would take one hell of a truck to deliver a new stone to it. My Great Grandparents and Great great Grandparents are buried there. Their graves are only marked with sandstone rocks as they died long before cut markers were available in the area.

Here are a couple of pictures of the cemetery. You can see how ruff it is:

And here is a picture of the road going to it:

 

[Bert Higginbotha]

Shawnee you may want to add LL Blanton to the Rausseau Pioneer Cemetery in FindAGrave. They do not list him because they probably could not read the name on the stone.

Rousseau Pioneer Cemetery in Florida - Find a Grave Cemetery

Located in Clearwater, Florida approximately 1 mile south of Gulf to Bay Boulevard, (SR 60) on South Hercules Avenue, the Rousseau Cemetery established in...

www.findagrave.com

 

[OHIO COLONEL]

The year was 1962, before global warming. I remember my grandmother told me we were entering the ice age. She did not have any heat in her house, didn't need it. Needless to say she lost most of the grove. They fired them up but 18 degrees was a little too much. Her brother in law lived in Plant City, FL and he said it was 12 degrees on his farm

Instead of using heaters in the groves...don't they now spray the trees with water so it freezes and I guess protects them from going below 32 degrees? Or something like that?
I seem to remember reading an article in the AJC when I lived in Atlanta and a severe cold front went far enough South to threaten the citrus groves....and thinking that's crazy.

 

[Ben101er]

I was thinking about Bev this morning, and how it is terrible to lose a younger sibling, but it is extra bad at this time of year. I have never understood why God allows bad things to happen to good people, but it's not for me to know. Maybe, someday, I will understand when I enter heaven. Until then, I just accept it as God's will and pray that the Holy Spirit will give comfort to those who need it. Praying for Bev, and her family at this difficult time.

 

[Sawnee Cat]

Instead of using heaters in the groves...don't they now spray the trees with water so it freezes and I guess protects them from going below 32 degrees? Or something like that?
I seem to remember reading an article in the AJC when I lived in Atlanta and a severe cold front went far enough South to threaten the citrus groves....and thinking that's crazy.

Yes, I think the large groves do that now. Also they use large blowers to create strong winds. My grandparents were old school and they used kerosene heaters (smudge pots) or burned wood to create heat and smoke. The rule of thumb was to fire up the groves if the temperature was going to get lower than 28°. This temperature was almost always at night after the sun went down. During the day the sun would be enough to keep the trees safe. I remember as a small boy we gathered wood and placed a wood pile about every 10 feet, up and down each row in the groves. The groves were plowed a couple of times a year and after plowing the wood stacks would be put down.

Here is a smudge pot in place in an orange grove. Growing citrus is HARD work.

 

[Sawnee Cat]

Shawnee you may want to add LL Blanton to the Rausseau Pioneer Cemetery in FindAGrave. They do not list him because they probably could not read the name on the stone.

Rousseau Pioneer Cemetery in Florida - Find a Grave Cemetery

Located in Clearwater, Florida approximately 1 mile south of Gulf to Bay Boulevard, (SR 60) on South Hercules Avenue, the Rousseau Cemetery established in...

www.findagrave.com

I will get on this right away. I spoke with the man who runs the cemetery Ron Harn and he is working with me to get a grave marker redone or maybe replaced. I have a total of 5 ancestors in the little cemetery, all pioneers. A g-grandfather John S Taylor, Sr and my g-grandmother, "Uncle Jack", John S Taylor, Jr and his wife and my g-grandfather Luther Lloyd Blanton. The Taylors settled there in the 1830's and raised cotton. Once the railroad arrived they switched to raising citrus and some cattle.

Located in Clearwater, Florida approximately 1 mile south of Gulf to Bay Boulevard, (SR 60) on South Hercules Avenue, the Rousseau Cemetery established in 1870 is one of the oldest private family cemeteries in Pinellas County, Florida.

The cemetery is the final resting place for some of the most notable pioneers in Pinellas County History. Families including ALLEN, BLANTON, BOOTH, HARN, KERSEY, MCMULLEN, ROUSSEAU, SEVER, and TAYLOR are represented here.

Looks like the John S, Taylor grave marker could use a little work too. He died in 1894.

 

[BBUK]

I am headed over to Cedar Key this afternoon to pick up about 25 lbs of Gulf Shrimp, fresh off of the boat. They are cleaned and ready for the freezer.

I will give you a tip if you want an excellent family run seafood restaurant with the freshest, best served meals that were swimming in the Gulf the night before. They have an unbelievable all you can eat platter for $13.95. Shrimp, oysters, crabs you name it.

Great fresh fish market - Review of Robinson's Seafood, Cedar Key, FL - Tripadvisor

Robinson's Seafood: Great fresh fish market - See 274 traveler reviews, 45 candid photos, and great deals for Cedar Key, FL, at Tripadvisor.

www.tripadvisor.com

Double wow! The wife and I would live at that joint. I'd eat the snot out if some shrimps and oyster's. The wife loves it all.

Oh, I do hope this day brings you all some good news. Remember, Christ is the Good News and he loves his children. God Bless you all.

I have lots of work to do from now through the new year. I am off except for a few meetings I need to attend.

My plan is too get our house back in order since our daughters and grandchildren moved out. Just tons of work but I have the time and my Bissell carpet cleaning machine with plenty of carpet cleaning solution. Carrying things down three flights of stairs is rough but I'm thankful...

 

[Ben101er]

Yes, I think the large groves do that now. Also they use large blowers to create strong winds. My grandparents were old school and they used kerosene heaters (smudge pots) or burned wood to create heat and smoke. The rule of thumb was to fire up the groves if the temperature was going to get lower than 28°. This temperature was almost always at night after the sun went down. During the day the sun would be enough to keep the trees safe. I remember as a small boy we gathered wood and placed a wood pile about every 10 feet, up and down each row in the groves. The groves were plowed a couple of times a year and after plowing the wood stacks would be put down.

Here is a smudge pot in place in an orange grove. Growing citrus is HARD work.

Couldn't they use huge sheets of plastic to cover areas of the grove?

 

[Sawnee Cat]

Couldn't they use huge sheets of plastic to cover areas of the grove?

That would be quite an undertaking. A mature orange tree is 12 to 15 feet tall with a spread of 10 or more feet. My grandfathers grove was about 100 acres. It would take a lot of plastic and a lot of propping up and would take forever to put up.

These cold snaps come in out of the blue and you don't have much time to prepare. Neighbors and friends had to pitch in to protect them. The most efficient way back in his time was to fire them up and make a lot of smoke (sumdge) as this offered the best protection.

 

[tapemaster8]

I was thinking about Bev this morning, and how it is terrible to lose a younger sibling, but it is extra bad at this time of year. I have never understood why God allows bad things to happen to good people, but it's not for me to know. Maybe, someday, I will understand when I enter heaven. Until then, I just accept it as God's will and pray that the Holy Spirit will give comfort to those who need it. Praying for Bev, and her family at this difficult time.

I didn’t know about Bev’s loss. Praying for her and her family! My Dad was killed in an explosion at an ammunition plant in Iowa. I was only 3 and my brother was 8. I have no memory of him. It was very hard on my brother. Over the years I have come to the conclusion that we can’t leave Heaven out of the equation. Otherwise I have no answer as to why things happen the way they do.

 

[Sawnee Cat]

I guess my question is, how much do NFL OC's make? Why would they leave the NFL to come to UK, unless they are on the hot seat? And, if they are on the hot seat, do we want to hire an under performer just so we can say he came from the NFL? Maybe a QB coach might be more reasonable.

Ben, when I posted that I was told Stoops was looking at the NFL my "source" said the prime target was a young man I had never heard of, Liam Coen of the LA Rams. He is young and supposedly a brilliant offense mind. The Rams run a balanced attack and Stoops prefers that. I read where the LA Rams have the 4th best offense in the NFL.

Stoops is certainly taking what many feel may be a risk but I like the gamble. We have to establish a good passing game to be competitive in the SEC and this young man may be what the doctor ordered. If it turns out to be so it will be interesting to say the least.

 

[starchief5]

Cordmaker made two badges for me. They are the two men who were my Chiefs of police while I was an elected official. They are fine men.

Johnny Vance and his wife.

Tom Suoy and his wife.

Below is part of the private message that I sent to Cordmaker describing the two policemen.

Johnny Vance is a native of Barren County, Kentucky. Johnny’s uncle was Van Vance who did the UL radio and TV broadcasts. When he was our Chief he got an FBI top ten wanted man arrested because he knew the area better than anyone.

He was followed as chief by Tom Souy, a native of Cambodia.

Tom is the story that is important. A Smith Grove church sponsored his family after Pol Pot's thugs killed his father with a machete and his mother and brother escaped Cambodia and made it to Thailand. Tom had never seen a TV until he got on a plane going from Thailand to the Philippines.

These two men took care of me when I was Commissioner and Mayor. Police are special. I love them both and they love me.

In my little town all the Chiefs of Police have the same badge number "701". Here are the badges that Cordmaker made.

That is a great Christmas present to two good men.

A church I pastored in Oregon back in the early 80s sponsored a Cambodian family. Nice people. Came to church even though they could not understand a word that was said.

 

[AustinTXCat]

Louisville sunset on December 10.

 

[blubo]

Louisville sunset on December 10.

The day The Baron died.

 

[cordmaker]

Louisville sunset on December 10.

Would have been my brothers birthday, would have been 64

 

[Ben101er]

That would be quite an undertaking. A mature orange tree is 12 to 15 feet tall with a spread of 10 or more feet. My grandfathers grove was about 100 acres. It would take a lot of plastic and a lot of propping up and would take forever to put up.

These cold snaps come in out of the blue and you don't have much time to prepare. Neighbors and friends had to pitch in to protect them. The most efficient way back in his time was to fire them up and make a lot of smoke (sumdge) as this offered the best protection.

Gotcha. Wouldn't be practical

 

[Ben101er]

Ben, when I posted that I was told Stoops was looking at the NFL my "source" said the prime target was a young man I had never heard of, Liam Coen of the LA Rams. He is young and supposedly a brilliant offense mind. The Rams run a balanced attack and Stoops prefers that. I read where the LA Rams have the 4th best offense in the NFL.

Stoops is certainly taking what many feel may be a risk but I like the gamble. We have to establish a good passing game to be competitive in the SEC and this young man may be what the doctor ordered. If it turns out to be so it will be interesting to say the least.

Coen was probably my last choice of the candidates. Only offensive coordinator experience was at Maine. Stoops talked about how Gran's oc experience was never up against SEC defenses. I guarantee that UC plays a lot tougher schedule than Maine. I hope this gamble pays off.

 

[MdWIldcat55]

That would be quite an undertaking. A mature orange tree is 12 to 15 feet tall with a spread of 10 or more feet. My grandfathers grove was about 100 acres. It would take a lot of plastic and a lot of propping up and would take forever to put up.

These cold snaps come in out of the blue and you don't have much time to prepare. Neighbors and friends had to pitch in to protect them. The most efficient way back in his time was to fire them up and make a lot of smoke (sumdge) as this offered the best protection.

All this talk about orange groves reminds me of a funny story.

Back in the late 1970s when I was in college I'd met a young woman on spring break in Ft. Lauderdale who lived in West Palm Beach. So a couple months later, me and a good friend from my home town who was as country as they come decided to drive down and visit her.

As we got into Florida we started seeing these huge billboards - always planted in Orange Groves - that had an image of a gun and the words "TWENTY YEARS TO LIFE." It was part of a big law and order campaign to stamp out violent crime by handgun.

After we passed about five of the signs my buddy, who'd been hitting the Jim Beam hard, says to me, "Dang, I was going to suggest we pull over and pilfer a few oranges, but I see they take that real serious down here."

So, your orange groves might have been saved from a couple Kentucky kids by a misunderstanding Sawnee.

 

[Bert Higginbotha]

I was thinking about Bev this morning, and how it is terrible to lose a younger sibling, but it is extra bad at this time of year. I have never understood why God allows bad things to happen to good people, but it's not for me to know. Maybe, someday, I will understand when I enter heaven. Until then, I just accept it as God's will and pray that the Holy Spirit will give comfort to those who need it. Praying for Bev, and her family at this difficult time.

I didn’t know about Bev’s loss. Praying for her and her family! My Dad was killed in an explosion at an ammunition plant in Iowa. I was only 3 and my brother was 8. I have no memory of him. It was very hard on my brother. Over the years I have come to the conclusion that we can’t leave Heaven out of the equation. Otherwise I have no answer as to why things happen the way they do.

I am not as religious as most; however, I lost my dad when I was in my 20's (he was 73 so it was not bad from that point of view, except he had me late in life, so it was bad for me). I lost my sister when she was 53. I lost my grandson when he was 9. None of those loses were designed my God in my view. Fate has a lot to do with it.

We have freedom to live our lives. If you happen to be at the place a large rock is going to land or a meteorite is going to hit the earth, that is fate and bad luck. I don't think that God chooses who is going to die or when they are going to die. God created our world and gave us big brains to use. Most of the rest is up to us. If you are at the wrong place at the wrong time that is just fate. Car wrecks are fate. Heart attacks are genes, eating habits and how you live your life. God does not determine if you die of a heart attack. My sister died of lung cancer. God did not kill her. She had the correct genes and she smoked like a steam engine.

Additionally, in my view, what is up to us is how we live our lives and decisions that we make decide if we go to heaven instead of hell. Then: that is where God comes in. If you choose to do wrong, do not accept Christ, you will cast your lot with those that lose. Plus remember that Christ forgave one of the thieves on the cross next to him. Accepting Christ and good works are important. It is just best not to wait until the end of our lives to make these choices. Make them early in life because you may not be put on the cross next to Jesus.

 

[Bkocats]

I still can’t believe my baby brother is gone.
https://www.stoessfuneralhome.com/obituary/Scott-Haines

 

[Bert Higginbotha]

I still can’t believe my baby brother is gone.
https://www.stoessfuneralhome.com/obituary/Scott-Haines

May God bless you.

It is hard to live through this stuff. When my sister died, it was hard to breathe.

 

[AustinTXCat]

I still can’t believe my baby brother is gone.
https://www.stoessfuneralhome.com/obituary/Scott-Haines

My deepest sympathies to you and your family. Sending healing prayers and comforting hugs.

 

[Ben101er]

I am not as religious as most; however, I lost my dad when I was in my 20's (he was 73 so it was not bad from that point of view, except he had me late in life, so it was bad for me). I lost my sister when she was 53. I lost my grandson when he was 9. None of those loses were designed my God in my view. Fate has a lot to do with it.

We have freedom to live our lives. If you happen to be at the place a large rock is going to land or a meteorite is going to hit the earth, that is fate and bad luck. I don't think that God chooses who is going to die or when they are going to die. God created our world and gave us big brains to use. Most of the rest is up to us. If you are at the wrong place at the wrong time that is just fate. Car wrecks are fate. Heart attacks are genes, eating habits and how you live your life. God does not determine if you die of a heart attack. My sister died of lung cancer. God did not kill her. She had the correct genes and she smoked like a steam engine.

Additionally, in my view, what is up to us is how we live our lives and decisions that we make decide if we go to heaven instead of hell. Then: that is where God comes in. If you choose to do wrong, do not accept Christ, you will cast your lot with those that lose. Plus remember that Christ forgave one of the thieves on the cross next to him. Accepting Christ and good works are important. It is just best not to wait until the end of our lives to make these choices. Make them early in life because you may not be put on the cross next to Jesus.

Don't misunderstand my point of view. I didn't say that God was to blame for an early, senseless death. I meant that I sometimes didn't understand how God would let certain things happen, but, I do believe that he will sometimes intervene, either because he has plans that we do not understand, or he has answered prayer. I think he pretty much lets us live our lives, make our own decisions, and then he either welcomes us, upon death, because we have trusted him, and accepted Jesus as our savior, or we meet him at judgement.

 

[cordmaker]

Try same colors as National Defense Service Medal. Most service members from all branches qualify.

Austin, thank you for sending me this picture. I set down and drew up a pattern, it ended up being 3"x8". I going to make a panel just to see what it will look like. After I get it done I will see if Mr. Bert will post a picture of it for me.

 

[AustinTXCat]

Austin, thank you for sending me this picture. I set down and drew up a pattern, it ended up being 3"x8". I going to make a panel just to see what it will look like. After I get it done I will see if Mr. Bert will post a picture of it for me.

You're welcome. Good deal. Look forward to seeing it.

 

[starchief5]

I am not as religious as most; however, I lost my dad when I was in my 20's (he was 73 so it was not bad from that point of view, except he had me late in life, so it was bad for me). I lost my sister when she was 53. I lost my grandson when he was 9. None of those loses were designed my God in my view. Fate has a lot to do with it.

We have freedom to live our lives. If you happen to be at the place a large rock is going to land or a meteorite is going to hit the earth, that is fate and bad luck. I don't think that God chooses who is going to die or when they are going to die. God created our world and gave us big brains to use. Most of the rest is up to us. If you are at the wrong place at the wrong time that is just fate. Car wrecks are fate. Heart attacks are genes, eating habits and how you live your life. God does not determine if you die of a heart attack. My sister died of lung cancer. God did not kill her. She had the correct genes and she smoked like a steam engine.

Additionally, in my view, what is up to us is how we live our lives and decisions that we make decide if we go to heaven instead of hell. Then: that is where God comes in. If you choose to do wrong, do not accept Christ, you will cast your lot with those that lose. Plus remember that Christ forgave one of the thieves on the cross next to him. Accepting Christ and good works are important. It is just best not to wait until the end of our lives to make these choices. Make them early in life because you may not be put on the cross next to Jesus.

The Ol' Babdist Preacher - Bert Higginbotha. Who knew?