–Ernest Haycox  (Saddle and Ride)

 

Mornin’ to yuh, Pard.  I heard yur step comin’ up the walk.  Since Thanksgivin’ it’s not so light as it used to be.  Pard, the pot is on, the day is before us and the Lord shore is good to us.  Plus the fact that the missus made a fantabulicious rhubarb pie yesterday.  Been ages since I had one of those, and mmmm, mmmm, it was good.  We’ve refused to buy rhubarb, why it was all around us when the two of us were growin’ up.  Folks never thought of goin’ to the grocery to buy rhubarb.  Wishin’ I had a patch of it.  Funny, a pie brinin’ back memories.  But then that’s part of the purpose of sittin’ down at the kitchen table, havin’ a piece of pie with a good cup of coffee an’ rememberin’.

     Don’t want to make yur bile rise whilst yur drinkin’, but more and more I see the words that Paul wrote bein’ fulfilled.  “Claimin’ to be wise, they became fools.”  Jist listen to some of the words that spill out of their mouths.  Plain foolishness.  The mayor of Chicago, is there anythin’ in his noggin’?  Then we have the newly elected Muslim in New York–crazy that he would be elected after 9/11, an’ on top of that he is a crazy man with insane ideas.  Woe, is the word that comes to my mind.

     Speakin’ of the folks in New York forgettin’ 9/11 so soon, yuh need to be rememberin’ tomorrow.  Yep, Pearl Harbor day.  Sunday mornin’ back in 1941, that dastardly deed was done that would send this country to war causin’ the bloodshed of thousands of American men.  Pard, it makes me wonder if we don’t appreciate this country enough.  The Lord has shore blessed us, and now we see people doin’ things totally contrary to His Word.  I also wonder what the veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq think of a Muslim mayor in of all places New York City.

     But Pard, tis the season to be jolly.  Reckon I am in my own way.  Try to keep the joy, joy, joy down in my heart.  Try to always be thankful.  I know, that I’m in good hands for He is a good Father.  Yuh be rememberin’ that when yuh take a sip of coffee, or eggnog this season.  Yuh be remembrin’ the Light that led the wise men to the Babe.  Yuh be rememberin’ that the Lord Jesus came as a baby to become the great sacrifice for our sins.  What a reason for the joy, what a reason for the season!

     Don’t be lettin’ the hustle an’ bustle make yuh forget that reason.  Keep the proper focus so’s yuh don’t forget to check yur cinch.

     Vaya con Dios.

            –Irving Berlin

 

Mercy me, Pard!  Looks like yuh ate the whole turkey and most of the dressin’.  Feelin’ poorly towards yur hoss this mornin’.  What’s that?  It wasn’t the turkey, it was the pie.  Well, I reckon I can understand that.  Whoopee, but wasn’t it wonderful at the camp.  The weather mostly was cooperative, and fellowship grand, and the food superb, especially that Thanksgiving dinner.  Yuh know, Pard, it makes me thankful that we live in a country that has time set on the calendar to celebrate a day of thankfulness.

     Oh, don’t let me forget the coffee, yur cup is there on the table.  Ahhh, good coffee, tryin’ something new, Lavazza Super Crema an’ I crunched up the beans this mornin’.  Smell it ‘fore yuh go slurpin’ it.  Mighty fine, mighty fine…

     Now, as I was a-sayin’, sittin’ ’round the campfire, drinkin’ plenty of coffee I was ponderin’ from time to time the idea of bein’ thankful.  My, there is so much, and we don’t think of half the things we should be thankin’ the Lord for.  Just think, we should be thankin’ Him for this gadget I used to grind the beans, and the pot I brewed it in, and the cup yur a-holdin’, plus the delcious brew itself.  When we get to thinkin’ rightly, we get to thankin’ rightly and more often.  

     I don’t want to be spoilin’ yur sippin’, but I saw where there are some fools, not ignorant, but downright moronic folk who think…no they don’t think, they say that Thanksgiving is racist.  One snip was sayin’ that it was the day that the Europeans started the conquerin’ of the Indians.  Yuh know, she should be thankful for the Europeans or she wouldn’t be here, livin’ in this country, and able to be spoutin’ her poor measly mouth off.   Yes, there were problems and wrong-doin’s by all parties, but there was so much happenin’ in the providence of God.  Just think, and be thankful, for all the millions that have come to know the Lord either directly or indirectly from those few that took a bold step in pioneerin’ this country.  Let’s drink another cup of coffee to them, I won’t be feedin’ yuh no more pie for a while.

     We’re headin’ into the wonderful month of December that will close out the year, but also brings us to an invitation to be celebratin’ the birth of our Lord and Savior.  Be thankin’ the Lord, not only for the Savior, but also that we take time to recognize the miraculous birth.  Ahh, so much to take in, so much to be thankful for.  Why, Pard, I’m thankful that yuh showed up today, an’ didn’t forget to check yur cinch.  Why with those Thanksgivin’ pounds added yur saddle for shore would’ve slipped.

     Vaya con Dios.

                    –Louis L’Amour  (Conagher)

 

Here yuh go, Pard.  Nice and hot, and plenty strong.  Sure hopin’ it puts yuh in a good mood, yuh know what they say.  What?  My coffee is strong enough to remove a tattoo?  Well, Pard, I wish it was, there’s shore enough of them bein’ painted on folks anymore.  What a sight!  But no, here’s what I was goin’ to say, this mornin’s good mood is sponsored by coffee good and strong.  No cinos, just plain coffee.  Ahhh, that’ll fix yur mood right up.  Fact is the only thing better is to add some time with the Lord to it.  My, how I enjoy sittin’, readin’, lookin’ out in the trees, and drinkin’ my mornin’ coffee.  Life is good, God is good.

     Pard, Thanksgivin’ is right around the corner.  Time for some nostalgia, time to be thinkin’ of times past, and more importantly, it’s time to be makin’ new memories.  Yep, the missus will be makin’ several pies, some pumpkin pecan, a German chocolate, maybe an apple, a cherry-berry, and of course that Thanksgivin’ staple, plain ol’ pumpkin.  Whoop!  The stomach is jumpin’ already in delight just a-thinkin’.  Then we’ll be with friends and family at the campsite.  Looks like no campfire this year as we’ve got a burn ban goin’.  Shame we have to have those, but folks just don’t know how to be good woodsmen.  Think it sorta ties in with the fact that they don’t know how to be good stewards. 

     People get sloppy, careless an’ many don’t even care ’bout what they’re doin’ an’ what could happen.  I’ve seen plenty a fellow burnt, or cut, or walk away leavin’ a fire burnin’.  They don’t care, or if’n they do they don’t show it.  Same ways with the things of the Lord.  He gives a blessin’ an’ it’s ignored, or used wrongly.  Some folks don’t take care of the things He gives ’em, they waste, they disfigure, they abuse those wonderful blessin’ of the Lord.  Some of the things they do with the gifts from the Lord are worse than diggin’ a hole and buryin’ it.

     But ‘nough of that negativity; it’s Thanksgiving.  Time to be rememberin’ our blessin’s and thankin’ the Lord for them and all that He has done.  My mercy, Pard, that shore a heapful!  An’ what’s more–He keeps on a-givin’ an’ a-blessin’.  Take a deep breath, no, there’s not a pie in the oven, but go ahead.  Now, think, He has given you the breath of life, and even more so because of Jesus He’s given us the breath of eternal life.  My, my…

     So Pard, be enjoyin’ all the blessin’s that are part of Thanksgivin’.  Some don’t have it so well.  Some lost it all, like ol’ Job.  But then remember, that old man got more than before.  It’ll be the same when we walk through the gates of that heavenly city, an’ sit down at that table.  My, I wonder if’n we’ll find out that manna was really apple pie?  

     Be havin’ a good week, and bein’ thankful.  Don’t spoil it all by not checkin’ yur cinch.

     Vaya con Dios.

                    –B.N. Rundell  (Wagon Wheel Gap)

 

     Take a deep sip, Pard.  That thar coffee comes from roasters way over in Silver City, New Mexico.  No, thar’s not no pintos nor peppers in it; it’s coffee yuh dodo.  Fresh, hot, black elixir from my own kitchen.  Ahhh, good to have it this mornin’.  Doc prescribed a stress test for me, an’ that meant no coffee for twenty-four hours.  Whoopee, I’ll tell yuh I sure wanted a cup that night before.  After the test, I rode the ol’ steel mount over to the daughter’s house where I promptly swallered three cups.

     Ha, when I first read what ol’ BN wrote I had to chuckle.  Shore did remind me of somethin’ my Grandpa Jones said once on a trip.  He stopped for coffee on a trip back to those wheatfields of Kansas and almost had a combustion fit when he found out that coffee at the cafe cost him a whole dime.  Mom said, he slammed his hand on the table, “Who ever heard of coffee costin’ more than a nickel?”  Ain’t like that now, that’s for shore.

     Things just don’t stop.  The foolishness and stupidity continues.  I know that thar are some out there that’s a-wantin’ a global society.  An’ I tell yuh they don’t know what they’re askin’ for.  When that comes about it’ll be too late for them for that ol’ devil-filled man of lawlessness will be in control.  Pard, if’n yur around then, yuh better seek shelter quick an’ hang on, not only will coffee become scarce or too expensive to buy they’re be a lot of the devil’s doin’ goin’ on.  In fact, this ol’ world will be bustin’ wide open with evil.  But for a politician, a supposedly American mayor (Chicago) to ask for the United Notions to step in an interfere with immigration enforcement in this here U.S.A. is downright shameful.

     Go ahead, Pard, yuh can drink it.  I know it’s the last of the brew, but I’m good to share.  Don’t blame yuh for wantin’ more.  Now, back to my pontificatin’, what I don’t understand is why these so-called leaders, an’ yuh know of whom I’m a-speakin’, go on about things that are illegal.  Illegal immigrants, illegal drugs, Illegal this and that, but don’t they get it?  The term is “illegal.”  How can stoppin’ cartel drugs from comin’ into the U.S. be illegal?  How can stoppin’ noncitizens from votin’ be illegal?  Do yuh get my drift?   

     On top of all this there was the shenanigans the liberals did by shuttin’ down the government.  Didn’t hurt them none, exceptin’ maybe they got their feelin’s hurt by not gettin’ their own way.  An’ most of that was over this ideal of givin’ handouts, welfare, and insurance to–yuh got it–illegals.  My mercy, if’n we’d follow them and check them out I’m a-thinkin’ they mount up not checkin’ their cinch.  No wonder they’re looney; they’ve fallen on their noggin’ too many times an’ don’t know up from down, much less right from wrong.

     Yuh be havin’ a good and safe week, Pard.  Sit tall in the saddle, knowin’ of whom yuh serve.  He’s got it all under control and we all can be a-trustin’ Him, even if’n we have to pay a little more for coffee.

     Vaya con Dios.