–John D. Billings

 

Mornin’ to yuh, Pard.  Extry, extry, strong coffee this mornin’ in honor of those departed before us.  A solemn, yet thankful day is upon us.  So lift up yur cup, an’ here’s to the dear departed souls who served to keep this country strong and safe.

       Say, Pard, roll up yur sleeve.  Yep, I remember when yuh got that wound; it was up on the Divide not far from where ol’ Taylor had his tradin’ post.  I remember it, for I got a matchin’ one the next day.  Right here along my fifth rib.  I remember that ol’ boy, MacDonald I think was his name, who said he saw an ol’ boy with a hole right next to his navel after the Battle of Glorieta Pass.  I see yuh grinnin’ yuh do remember what he said, “If’n a person has to have an extra hole that’s as good a place as any to have one.”  From what I reckon he went through life with a bullet somewheres in his guts and a twin navel.

       How’s the coffee?  See, told yuh–strong!  Since we’re rememberizin’, do yuh recall what ol’ Bill said?  Nah, not Buffalo, but that thar English fellow, Bill Shakespeare or something like that.  Let’s see if I can remember some of it for it sure is fittin’ for us ol’ vets of the wars.  “From this day to the ending of the world, but we in it shall be remembere’d; we few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for he to-day that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile…”  

       Pard, an’ let’s not forget that there are all kinds of wounds, not jist the physical ones.  There are those within the inner soul, those scars upon the mind.  There’ some scars where the darts of ol’ slewfoot hit us.  It reminds me kinda of you, when yuh don’t check yur cinch.  Sometimes we don’t get the shield of faith up in time an’ one of them nasty arrows from the devil hits us.  That’s when we can sure be thankful for that balm of Gilead.

       Have yurself a good weekend, an’ if’n yuh see any brothers-in-arms, give them a howdy-do.

       Vaya con Dios.

                    –Brad Dennison  (Wandering Man)

 

“Over the river and through the woods…” come in here an’ join me Pard.  Let’s have some coffee and do some singin’.  Uh, well, at least some coffee, an’ it’s plenty hot and strong; it’ll make yur innards wake up and say “howdy-do.”  November’s here, Pard, the beginning of fall.  The leaves are fallin’, the breeze is brisk, and in some places there is some fallen snow.  November, the beginning of the wondrous holiday season.

     Come on, Pard, yuh know yuh like the holidays.  Why, yur already droolin’ thinkin’ of turkey and dressin’ and all the other things that go with it.  Cookies, and pies, and all of those other special delights of the season, an’ that might even include a fruitcake.  For sure it’s better than that ol’ puncher I heard about the other day.  Did yuh hear he died with his boots on,–ha, he didn’t want to stub his toe when he kicked the bucket.  Don’t yuh be groanin’ on me nor snortin’ yur coffee either.

     The time of Thanksgiving, then the time when we remember the comin’ of the heavenly Father’s most glorious and wonderful gift–His Son, Jesus.  It’s a time of wonderment as well as a time of havin’ a grateful heart.  Just like right now, this very moment, here we are slurpin’ down some of that elixir that is next to divine.  It is strong enough for yuh?   Pard, you and I both know that if’n yuh can see through the coffee in the pot it ain’t fittin’ to be drunk.  So good, hot, strong coffee is my first gift to yuh this holiday season, and the wishin’ that yuh remember to be thankful for all that the good Lord has blessed yuh with.  Oh, an’ that includes givin’ yuh the brains to remember to check yur cinch.

        Vaya con Dios.

                    –Cliff Hudgins  (Grandpa’s Legacy)

 

Foolishness, Pard, foolishness abounds.  When I think of all the things that are said about fools and their folly in Proverbs, I see it all around.  The curse of Ted Cruz was the cause of the Astros loss.  Oh, the media is playin’ that ’cause they don’t want him reelected.  Now, I’m readin’ that Ranger fans are worried about the curse of George Bush.  Fools, utter fools played up by the media.

       Reminds me of that ol’ puncher who walked into a blacksmith shop.  He was an inquisitive sort, and after glancing around for a few seconds reached down and picked up a horseshoe not realizing it had recently come out of the forge.  He gave a quick wince, then dropped the shoe, and shovin’ his burned hand into his pocket.  He tried to remain calm and nonchalant not wantin’ anyone to know of his foolishness.  However, the blacksmith saw it and said, “Kinda hot, ain’t it?”  The cowboy, hand in pocket, replied, “Nope.  It just don’t take me long to look at a horseshoe.”

       Don’t be a fool, drink up that coffee.  Ahhh, but don’t it seem the norm anymore?  Foolishness, I mean.  That ol’ boy with the burnt hand hopefully learned his lesson, but it’s like many who sin.  They get burned, but try to ignore the stupidity of what they did.  They didn’t take notice of what they were doin’ in the first place.  I know, I know, we all make stupid decisions in our lives, like yuh did a while back when yuh didn’t check yur cinch.  Yuh got a knot on yur noggin’ for yur foolishness.  Wasn’t serious, not with yur hard head, but it could have been.  

       We need to be careful of what we pick up, where we ride, and what we say.  Just think, Pard, there’s gonna be plenty of fools this weekend playin’ with the devil’s implements.  Why, or why, I wonder why folks want to mess with the things of the devil in the first place–foolishness, just plain foolishness.  Yep, the complacency of fools will get them if’n they don’t turn to the Lord.  There are so many foolish folk out there doin’ their own selfish thing while the good Lord is offerin’ them hope and salvation.  Why, my mercy, Pard, that’s worse than not checkin’ yur cinch!

       Yuh be careful as yuh go out among the Philistines and the fools.  Keep yur gun handy, yur Bible read, and the communication lines open with the heavenly Father.  Sure good sharin’ coffee with yuh this mornin’.

                  Vaya con Dios.

                    –Zane Grey  (The Trail Driver)

 

I wonder what that ol’ boy was a-singin’?  Perhaps, he was croonin’, “When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more…”.  Pard, let me be tellin’ yuh, it’s comin’ ’round sooner than later.  Now, I’m not a-sayin’ what’s happenin’ over in Israel is the comin’ of the Lord, but I’ll sure tell yuh one thing–it’s closer to day and ever before in history!

       It’s appallin’ the atrocities that are takin’ place.  The Lord have mercy, babies bein’ decapitated–that’s pure evil.  Here’s yur cup.  Makes me wonder jist how many more times we’re gonna be sharin’ coffee at the ol’ kitchen table.  When I read some of the evil that is takin’ place I thought of the words of Jesus when He was asked what it would be like at the end.  He told them of false prophets, lawlessness, coldness, wars, but what gets me is that one verse, “All these things are the beginning of sorrows.” (Matthew 24:8)  Pard, jist the beginnin’!

       My ol’ ridin’ pard, Bob, wrote in his blog about it gettin’ worser an’ worser.  Think of it, Pard, if’n yuh can an’ swaller at the same time.  Right now the Holy Spirit is restrainin’ evil.  Look around, evil is currently bein’ restrained.  I can’t imagine it gettin’ worser than it is now, but Pard, when the Holy Spirit no longer restrains, why, it’s gonna be havoc.  Then the “man of lawlessness” will be revealed.

       I read in the Psalms, “how long”.  The prophets of old questioned, “how long?”  Let me add to that, how long?  When will the Lord’s patience finally say, “that’s enough”?  Pard, it sorta makes the coffee gurgle in yur guts.  When He calls for the trumpet to sound that will be the signal, not only for our homecomin’, but for the Holy Spirit to allow the gates of evil to flood this earth.

       Pard, if’n yuh don’t fall on yur noggin’ ’cause yuh didn’t tighten yur cinch and go on to meet the Lord that way, yuh can join me flyin’ up through the air singin’, “On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise, And the glory of His resurrection share….”

        Vaya con Dios.