Whoooeeee, Pard!  It’s hard to believe!  Reckon this is the last Saturday we’ll be together until next year.  My, my, my, for next Saturday is Christmas–yeehaw!  Then the followin’ week will be New Years.  Still hard to believe that another year has gone by.  Makes me wonder what I did with my time.

       I know one for sure–the Lord has been good and faithful to me.  With all the craziness in this world He has kept me, and my family.  Glad to be assured that whatever is goin’ on that the Lord is right there with me.  The ol’ devil would like nothin’ better than for us to lose our focus.  Why that is like drinkin’ diluted coffee.  Yuh know we’re not supposed to compromise, we should be drinkin’ the strong, pure, undiluted brew, nothin’ artificial, nothin’ weak, no see through coffee.  The same is true of our focus on the Lord.  Why for sure at times it would be better if we were wearing hoss blinders.

       How’s that taste?  Goes down smooth an’ soothes the gizzard don’t it?  Well, that’s the way I’m prayin’ for yuh, Pard.  I’m prayin’ that next year yu’ll have smooth ridin’, that yuh don’t fall off in some cactus patch.  Prayin’ that the bile doesn’t come up in yur stomach, nor that yur gizzard will get riled up.  Stay in the Word, Pard–kept yur gun oiled and ready, don’t be lookin’ to the right or the left but only on what the Lord has for yuh.

       Yuh be careful until we meet back here again.  I won’t be remindin’ yuh to check yur cinch, so yu’ll have do be rememberin’ it yur ownself.  Now, I know that’s a powerful lot, but don’t be goin’ out into this ol’ world unprepared.  Check yur gear an’ that includes yur cinch.  So until next year…have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

        Vaya con Dios.

                    –James Oliver Curwood  (The Valley of Silent Men a Story of the Three River Country)

 

“Jingle bells are ringing… ’cause Christmas time’s a-comin’… and yuh better watch out an’ not pout.”  Why, Pard that’s singin’.  It’s called a medley, and that’s what happens when I go t’ singin’.  I just let ‘er rip, and the words just come from out there somewheres.  What are yuh sayin’, that’s not a medley?  Well, what is it then?  A mess!  Pard yuh just don’t appreciate the way my mind hears music.

       Does that mean yuh don’t wanna partake of my coffee?  It’s on the stove, just needs to be poured.  I’m not sure if bacon is intimate and makes for good companionship.  Why bacon just don’t stay around long enough to become a companion unless yur a-talkin’ about what it does to my figure..  Coffee, it’s sure ‘nough  companion, and brings grand thoughts of home.  Grandma always had a pot on the stove, she didn’t drink it herself, can you imagine, but just in case company might come by she was ready with a cup for them.

       Home!  Ain’t that quite a word!  There’s lots of houses, and buildin’s, but homes have to be made.  I don’t mean of bricks and mortar, but with blood, sweat, tears, and prayers.  Home is where the heart is.  Hmmm, what a thought.  I wonder how much we think of heaven as our home.  Don’t seem that many out there think of it much.  And along with the other troubles in buildin’ a home, some are sayin’ that we shouldn’t necessarily be meetin’ in our homes on Christmas or we need to wear one of those blamed masks.  Pard, if’n I should wear a mask how would yuh see my grin, or I yur bootiful face?

       Yuh better drink yur coffee as I’m about to commence my singin’ again.  One thing for sure there is a list bein’ made.  Part of it might be if’n yur naughty or nice, but there’s sure one book that’s all important–the Lamb’s Book of Life.  Yuh want to make sure yur name’s written in it.

       Ride safely home, Pard.  If’n yuh need to get shoppin’ done don’t let it wait ’til the last minute.  Why then yuh might get to hustlin’ and bustlin’ around and forget to check yur cinch.

        Vaya con Dios.

                    –Louis L’Amour  (The Man From the Broken Hills)

 

       Ain’t man a wonder?  Now, if’n yuh can’t tell from the tone of my writing, that’s been said facetiously, Pard.  He is created a little lower than the angels, but sometimes I wonder if it ain’t the fallen angels He was referring to.   Why that poor, neglected, man who killed six people and ran over another forty says that he is being demonized.  The poor man, with a rap sheet that is a mile long.  Then we have sweet, pitiful Alec, whimpering and sniffling up sympathy sayin’ he didn’t pull the trigger.  Guns that shoot by themselves, why Pard the next thing they’ll be tellin’ us cars can drive by themselves.  What’s that?  They have some, they’re workin’ on it.  Well, they’ll do somethin’ like make coffee that is instant, no need of boilin’ or perkin’.  Huh?  They have that too?  Well, that just shows to go yuh, that they’re always messin’ with something.

       Pard, think back over yur long life and those many times yuh held a gun.  Ever have one go off without pullin’ the trigger?  I’ve heard of folks shootin’ themselves while cleanin’ a gun, but that don’t make no sense neither.  Bottom line, yuh have a gun in yur hand, it makes yuh responsible.  No matter what else, yur holdin’ it.

       Sorry, Pard, this week has had some doin’s that just rankled me.  Just gonna let them simmer on the back burner of my mind.  Speakin’ of back burners, how ’bout another cup of coffee?  Ahh, smell that aroma, sure helps me from shakin’ my head at all the senseless things that are goin’ on.  It’ll get worser and worser as the Lord tarries.  We all need to be prayin’, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus,” and also prayin’ for those around us, ‘specially family and friends.

       Say Pard, ol’ Pancho told me that he saw some folk from one of those barred countries comin’ across the border down ’round Laredo.  Oh, but that’s another story.  Finish that last swaller and I’ll let yuh be on yur way.  I’m gonna watch yuh for a minute t’ see if’n yuh check yur cinch.  Why yuh might just say it just happened, not yur fault, when they pick yuh off the ground.

        Vaya con Dios.

                         –Louis L’Amour  (Conagher)

 

       Almost didn’t recognize yuh, Pard.  Yuh wearin’ a rain barrel for a coat nowadays?  Ah, I see, too much turkey and all the trimmin’s, oh, and the pies.  Pard, at this age yuh should know better.  But I will say that barrel sorta rounds out yur personality.

       Sit down, the coffee is ready and for sure, it’s not fattenin’.  More like soothin’ an’ calmin’ to the soul.  If’n yuh went out shoppin’ yesterday yuh sure could push folks out of the way with that new shape.

       Thanksgivin’ was great.  Kimberly and her family camped out at Lake Livingston and since it’s only fifteen miles we would go out, but stayed the nights at home.  We ate breakfast out there every day, supper most days, but we chowed down with the Thanksgivin’ Dinner.  Pard, and I’m tellin’ the gospel truth, I nary touched a piece of pie for Thanksgiving meal.  Nope, not when I got home neither.  But I will tell yuh this, I had a piece of pumpkin and German chocolate pie for breakfast.  I reckoned instead of eatin’ it twice I’d just go whole hog and eat both pieces at the same time.  And speakin’ of hog, we had plenty of that as well.

       Pard, I sorta pity those who want to steal and destroy our heritage, especially Thanksgivin’.  It seems that everythin’ today is cross culture, racist, or political.  My mercy, hardly a person can bow their head to the Almighty God to thank Him for His marvelous, wonderful blessin’s without some numbskull pipin’ up.  Why them folks are the same ones that want to deny the Lord altogether.  Ignorant morons, they don’t have a brain that would fit a flea.

       But honestly Pard, the Lord has blessed us, and what those folk don’t realize that because of believers God blesses those around them.  Let them live in some other country then look back at the blessin’s they threw to the wind.  What was it that ol’ Joshua said, “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”

       Pard, yuh need a push t’ get in the saddle?  Train yur kids right, equip them properly, and Pard that means teach them to check their cinch before mounting up for the day.

        Vaya con Dios.