Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Observations

Well, as I was watching the news yesterday, I saw where there had been another senseless attack on innocent students at Ohio State. I realize that to say that this is an instance of Islamic terrorism would be premature and politically incorrect even though the perp. was a Muslim from Somalia. But what I can state is that we should ban all cars and butcher knives if we are to follow the thinking of the liberal left! I can guarantee you that had the young man used an AK 47, President Obama would be holding his last bleeding heart gun control plea press conference.

Speaking of guns, someone sent me a great clip developed by Homeland Security titled, "Run, Hide, Fight". I am not being my normal sarcastic self here. This is a good short video that I would encourage anyone who has family members living in metropolitan areas to encourage their family members to view. It describes how one should react in the first few minutes of a terrorist attack based on your circumstances at the time the attack begins. Somehow, I just don't see much chance of something like this happening in a rural setting because of the lack of availability of soft targets. Even if you found a target, "Bubba" would be toting, and he isn't going down without firing off a few rounds back.

As far me, I'm old enough to see no shame in hiding if the opportunity presented itself, but I'm too old and slow to run. Consequently, I am always armed even in church or when I go to the booming metropolis of Camilla, population of 5,000. I have a concealed carry permit, and about the only time I do not wear a weapon on my person is at Riverview. If someone could break through Cader IV, Jerry, and Greg to get to me, they have earned the right to shoot me. I believe that they would be leaking from so many holes that there would be no air or blood left in their bodies. The only thing that could be worse for a terrorist at Riverview would be if he happened to show up on the same day that a party of Joe's was here. To protect the innocent , I will not add a last name to Joe.

On a more pleasant subject, we finally saw a little rain during the wee hours of the morning this morning. It was not much, but we are grateful to God for every drop. And we stand an even better chance of more substantial rainfall in the morning, and again on Sunday. Maybe our dry weather pattern is about to change.

I have been tempted to complain about the weather, but I have a lot bigger fish to fry with the Lord than to aggravate Him about the weather; so I try to save my prayers for the big stuff. Also, I am reminded of a poem my Mom taught me at an early age. It does like this:
" Ain't no use to sit and whine
   When the fish ain't on yo' line
   Just bait yo' hook and keep a tryin'
   Keep a gowin'"

You might have to be a native Southerner to translate that one, but what it really says is that whining and complaining are not going to change your circumstances. We are blessed with so much in this great nation, and we sometimes take those blessings for granted. Have a great day today !


Thursday, November 24, 2016

This & That

Is it just me, or does everyone else wish that our nation would just pick a time, and stay on it? While I know that this is not a hot political issue, the time changes in the fall and spring drive me crazy. Even though it is Thanksgiving morning, I was once again wide awake and drinking coffee at 4:30 am. Evidently, my body still thinks that it's 5:30, and I can't convince it otherwise.

I usually slip out into the den to read and watch the local news since I have no desire to awaken my wife who takes a dim view of my early rising habits, and she takes an extremely dim view of being waked up at what she deems " an ungodly hour", I can't really say that I blame her for that.

However, it is fun to sit out in our den which is mostly plate glass and Pecky Cypress with a very high ceiling. I can see God's creation start to break light each morning on one of the most beautiful places on earth. There are almost always a few deer that have bedded down in our yard that start to amble about shortly after sun up, and then a little while later along comes the turkeys taking care of the acorn crop for me.

Thanksgiving is the one holiday that Martha and I are blessed to have all of our children and grandchildren with us. We are even more blessed that we have guests at Riverview over Thanksgiving which means we all get to eat at one big table here at the Lodge, and Martha does not have to cook for this army of family. Thanksgiving night dinner at Riverview is the only meal here that is served buffet style. We have smoked turkey and ham plus all of the traditional dishes that have been in the Cox family for generations.

Cader IV will set a time for dinner, and warn the guests that if they are late, they may fall in line behind the Cox clan. We've never had any guest late for Thanksgiving dinner. All of the Riverview family joins me in wishing you and your families a very happy Thanksgiving. We all have a lot to be grateful for !

Friday, November 11, 2016

A beautiful day

I woke up this morning to an absolutely beautiful day in South Georgia. I walked out of the house right at daylight to say," Good morning, Lord". I also spoke to my little white deer who has taken to bedding up in the grass in our yard even though we have the yard lighted. It is a crisp 38 degree morning, and I am envious of all of the fun our guests are going to experience today. I was in such a great mood and frame of mind. Then I went and ruined all of that by turning on the news!

First of all, let me say that I am very proud of the way President Obama, President-elect Trump, and the defeated candidate, Secretary Clinton, have handled this transition. This is what a democracy is all about. This is also Veterans Day, and I honor all of the brave men and women today who wore the uniform so that this type of election and transition could occur. Many of these brave folks paid the ultimate price for us to go to the polls, and accept the will of the people.

What I am ashamed of is the anarchists and spoiled college punks who did not get their way, and who are using the election as an excuse to riot and destroy property. I am not a conspiracy theorist, but I do believe that some of these folks are being paid to foment strife. The college kids probably bother me the most with the way they are being pampered and coddled with " comfort foods" and free passes from class because they did not get their way. I have seen the grave sites of the generation of our ancestors that were college age who stormed the beaches of Normandy.

I fear that each successive generation of American citizens are getting softer. I remember whining to my mother once about how hard my Dad was working me in the tobacco and peanut fields. She just looked at me , smiled, and said," Honey, you have it easy compared to the way his father worked him". I hated pulling weeds out of peanut fields by hand so much that I would often fake a stomach ache to go home. I got caught in the " Little Boy who cried Wolf" trap finally because I really did have a bad stomach ache one day. Pop thought I was faking, and would not allow me to go home. By the time, they finally took me to the doctor, my appendix had ruptured,my liver had an abscess, and I had gangrene in my stomach. They did not give me much of a chance to survive, but God was not finished with me yet.

When Cader IV came along, I made him work in every crappy job we had on the plantation in the summer time including scooping the doo-doo out of the kennels. When he got old enough, I gave him a pocket knife. I caught him playing with it in an unsafe manner one day and warned him to be careful. As you would expect, he cut his hand, and came to me with the blood running off of his hand. I looked at it, and determined that the cut did not need stitches. He asked me what he should do, and I replied," Pee on it, and pour some turpentine on it". To say that he was not happy with the answer or my lack of compassion would be an understatement, but I have raised a son who is a man now in every definition of what the word,"man" implies.

I have no sympathy for these cry babies in college now, and place most of the blame on their parents and teachers. OK, that finishes my rant for the day; so let's go back to the first paragraph of this blog.

It is a beautiful fall in South Georgia. Y'all come see us!

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Election and quail hunting

OK folks, the election season is over, but the quail hunting season is just getting started good; so it is time to turn our attention away from politics and toward what's really important--quail hunting. Of course, I hope everyone realizes that I am writing this as a "tongue-in-cheek" comment.

However, before leaving the subject of politics, let me just say this. We need to think about the name of this great nation, and remember that first word, "UNITED", in the name of the United States of America. We seem to be a divided nation that desperately needs to heal, and find some common ground in the middle that we can all meet upon. I realize that I am showing my age here, but I grew up in a time at Riverview when corporations could legally entertain politicians. I had the privilege of meeting some great statesmen in my early years here. The one thing that they all agreed upon was that compromise was necessary to do what was best for the people. They would reach across the aisles to make that work. At the end of the day, if a bill could be passed that no one got everything they wanted, and everyone was just a bit unhappy, it was probably a good bill. I trace the end of that kind of politics to the Bill Clinton/ Newt Gingrich era. After that, there was no compromising on any issue, and every vote seemed to be right down party lines. Who suffered the most from this type of government is "We, The People". I am praying that this is the dawn of a better day for our beloved nation!

Now as to quail hunting, I have a lot more knowledge and experience with it than politics. The 2016-2017 season is off to a good start. With this drier than normal rainfall we have experienced, our English Cockers are paying for themselves in spades by being able to find and retrieve downed quail. Everyone is really enjoying these lovable little dogs. The Cockers are making it a bit more difficult for a few of our guests who insist that they killed a quail when the guide absolutely knows that not a feather was touched on the shot. People may lie, but a dog is incapable of doing so. If the bird is there, they will find him. If he was not hit, they will come back, look at you with those sad eyes as if to say, " Are you going to make me continue to look for a non-existent quail?"

In closing, let me say that we do still have some open dates for this season, but the phone is ringing everyday, and dates are disappearing daily also. Y'all come on down, enjoy some great hunting, and home made ,fried PBJ sandwiches. After all, health nuts are going to feel real stupid someday lying in hospital beds dying of nothing!

Friday, November 4, 2016

Just a few rambling thoughts

After the flood of 1994 which was termed a "500 year event", we had another flood in 1998 that reached almost the same epic heights. It was after the 1998 flood that I decided since I must be almost 1000 years old, I should make a vow not to ever ask God to send rain again. Both of these floods cost Riverview a lot of money. On the '94 flood,which was the worst one, we had no flood insurance since we had been on this location since 1957 without ever being flooded. We did have flood insurance for the 1998 flood. The only reason that I am recalling ancient history is to say that I did not break my vow, but I did casually mention to God in prayer last night that it is getting mighty dry in South Georgia. On the bright side, much cooler weather starts flowing into our area today.

Now is where a few of my rambling thoughts begin. I have watched with interest a lot of advertisements lately on ant-aging creams, diets, exercises, etc. I truly believe that the only way we could slow the aging process down would be if we were to pass an anti-aging bill and allow it to work its way through Congress. Since bills seem to work through this manipulative process slower than smoke off of cold doo-doo, we might all stay young forever.

We have an election coming up next week, and I have never experienced one like this in my lifetime. If every voter, voted for "none of the above", what would happen. Since that is not likely to happen, allow me to pose a constitutional question that could possibly arise, and I am being serious with this question. Should a president be elected and then impeached, could she/he pardon itself, or does the pardon have to come from the successor?
In closing this short blog, allow me to share this blessing I read the other day that I would wish on all of you:
 May your troubles be less, may your blessings be more. And may nothing but happiness come through your door!

Watching hunting dogs course through these big piney woods in search of quail is one of my definitions of happiness. Come see us!