After he made a small meal, he sat and drank coffee.  The sun set behind the hills, and the early evening dusk began gathering in the little folds and creases in the land around.  He listened to the evening as he finished the coffee.  Nothing but birds and wind.  A coyote sang its song a long ways out.”
              –W. Wayne Winkle  (Tess’s Trials)

I know it’s mornin’ graylight, but I was sittin’ last evenin’, thinkin’ of this grand land of ours.  Let me get yuh yur coffee before I start pontificatin’.  Ahhh, at least there still hot coffee to enjoy.  As I was sayin’, in the dusk of the evenin’ I was wonderin’ if we are not in the twilight of this great country.
    From my studies and readin’s over the years I find a trend that the Lord Almighty tends to give the people the type of government they want.  He also sends times of refreshin’ and renewal and revival.  Those times are to give the people a chance to consider their ways.  Did this country have its last chance with President Trump?  Twilight?
    Now, I’m tellin’ yuh, I don’t understand the logic of folks out there, especially those who are “woke.”  A person made a statement that those without a mask are a menace to society.  She continued to say that those without a vaccine ought to be segregated…hmmm.  Besides, unconstitutional, doesn’t her vaccine protect her from those without a mask?  What’s next–a vaccine passport?  
    Ahhhh, good thing the coffee is soothin’ this mornin’.  Then there’s that fellow from England, with supposedly a different type of blood from the rest of us.  Royal blood they call it.  Of course, he’s rejected that blood and has moved to America only to denounce the 1st Amendment.  Seems like that is one of the reasons this country rejected royal blood.  Wonder what his thoughts will be on the 2nd Amendment?  
    Better take another deep swig of yur coffee before I tell yuh some more.  The fellow sittin’ as President said that men had to take showers with women, a judge found that to be true in a case with a school in Missouri, and Cinderella is goin’ transgender with Legos havin’ a drag queen.  Twilight?
    Mercy, I could go on, but that’s enough to make yur gizzard twitch.  I dare not get into some of the stupid things bein’ said about Hamas and Israel.  If’n I did yuh might go out and forget to check yur cinch.  Sure don’t want yuh fallin’ into no twilight zone.  
        Vaya con Dios.

When the coffee was ready he filled a cup and drank it, black and scalding.”
              –Louis L’Amour (Heller With A Gun)

“There’s a blessed time that’s coming, coming soon,” get in here Pard, and join in–“It may be evening, morning, or at noon,” Yeehaw! “The wedding of the bride, united with the groom, oh yes, we shall see the King when he comes!”  My mercy Pard, it’s a-comin’ soon.  It makes me want to clog in the kitchen or at least shuffle in the halfway dependin’ on how the rheumatize is affectin’ the hips.  What’s that, I sound more like a wounded coyote?  And I suppose yur a meadowlark.
    Whatcha think?  Is Iran gonna join Hamas in their attacks on Israel?  Ha, ha, did yuh see where Israel used the media, American and others to trick Hamas?  Already there is an outcry of “No fair.”  Ha, ha.  No matter what a person says, these are excitin’ times, virus or not.  My I wonder what that heavenly coffee is goin’ to taste like?  I heard that the modern word for manna is donuts, but I’m reckonin’ it’s more like biscuits ‘n’ gravy.
    This is not the time to be fearin’, and lookin’ down at yur empty cup, more like the time to be lookin’ up.  The Master said when we see things begin to happen the end is soon, be a-lookin’ in the sky for His return.  Whooeee, where’s the kitchen, the ol’ feet are rarin’ to go.  Come on, Pard, let’s howl together, “woe the kingdoms of this world shall so before Him fall…”  No matter what is happenin’ in the world, God is in charge and has everything under control.  Even if yuh forget to check yur cinch, He’ll be there when yuh fall out of the saddle.
          Vaya con Dios. 

It was good sitting there in the cool of early morning, with the faint smell of woodsmoke in the air, the smell of frying bacon, the smell of good coffee.”
              –Louis L’Amour  (The Lonely Men)

Why shore the coffee tastes like mud this mornin’, they were grounds earlier.  Ha, that’s what yuh get for callin’ me older than dirt, why I’m just a youngster yet.  I remember the days though…the day of runnin’ the prairie with ol’ Bill.  No, not Grizz, but Buffalo.  He shore was a grand guy, lots of stories to tell, but say, when a person gets on up in years, well, like me, there are plenty of stories.  Mind you, stories, not lies.  I well remember my Grandpa sayin’ that the only thing different between him and George Washington was that the Father of our Country couldn’t tell a lie.  Grandpa said that he could, but just wouldn’t do it–in fact, the straight of the matter is that the truth often seems more far-fetched than the lies.  
    But what do people want to believe?  Yuh got it, the lies.  Lies and liars, why they seem to be part of the times.  Makes a person wonder where the truth-tellers went.  In fact, if a person stands up today to tell the truth, the liars with their cohorts, the media, brand them a liar.  Go figure…
    Ahhh, the coffee isn’t really all that bad this mornin’.  Tastes mighty good.  The breeze is nice, and, well, Pard, it’s good to be breathin’ that fresh mornin’ air that the Lord has provided.  Some places I’ve been the air ain’t so fresh in the mornin’, nor is the coffee very tasty.  Why I’ve seen some folk drink coffee that yuh can see through.  A facsimile of coffee, sorta like chicken soup.  Ol’ Pappy used to say upon tastin’ some soup that they must have put galoshes on the chicken and had it walk through the broth.  Well, that’s the way some folks’ coffee  is.  Hmmm, now to think of it, that’s the way some folks’ lives are–just barely a taste of livin’.
    One more thought as we finish up the pot this mornin’.  I saw where that old woman, remember the one who ran for President is on the prowl again.  She just can’t keep shut up and stay out of the pie, but she said that the President ought to use the Covid and the vaccine to push as much of his agenda through as he can.  In other words, spread more lies to get what yuh want.
    With that bein’ said, and the coffee bein’ gone, it’s about time for yuh to be mountin’ up and on down the trail.  Hmmm, to think of it, weak coffee is sorta like the guy who didn’t check his cinch.  It won’t keep him in the saddle on the rough trails.
      Vaya con Dios.

More than once he was caught kneeling there, cup in hand, motionless, his thoughts far from the moment.”
              –Zane Grey  (The Trail Driver)

Don’t be a-mindin’ me, coffee’s on the stove.  I’ve jist been sittin’ here, ponderin’ and contemplatin’ like that ol’ boy in the quotation.  Reckon what he had on his mind, Pard?  Me, my mind is skitterin’ ’round all over the place.
    Why, Pard, do you realize another month has gone by?  What in the world have we done with the time?  Sure hope that too much of it wasn’t wasted.  Then, I pondered the storms, my haven’t we had some storms this spring?  They bring to mind some other storms I’ve seen through life, whoooeee some of them were ring-tailed roarers.
    Then I think of those bureaucrats and their audacity to tell lies.  My land, some of them are real whoppers!  Then I ponder if they really believe what they’re sayin’ or jist filling the atmosphere with their hot air.  Talk about gettin’ rid of the beeves, if’n some of them would quit spoutin’ off their lies that in itself would stop the climate change.
    I like to sit at greylight and jist before, ponderin’ the comin’ day as I do my mornin’ readin’.  By the way, hope yuh enjoy the coffee this mornin’.  I’m sure plum delighted that yuh take the time to enjoy a cup with me now and then.  Good times, ahhhh, good tastin’ too.
    Sometimes I ponder on the past, now let me tell yuh, I don’t dwell there.  But I’ve been thinkin’ lately when was my favorite time of life.  That’s what I was thinkin’ on when yuh rode up this mornin’.  I sure wouldn’t mind havin’ my strength back, and energy back, an’ gettin’ rid of these ol’ aches and bum heart.  But then I think of my days of playin’ baseball, my there was some good times.  I enjoyed the Air Force an’ servin’ my country.  Hmmm, but I’m sure enjoyin’ the time now, sittin’ here, drinkin’ coffee, enjoyin’ the company of my wife of almost fifty years.  Good times!  
    My land, the pot’s almost empty and I’m not done with my ponderin’ yet.  I’ll give yuh one more thought and then let yuh get on down the trail.  I spend quite a bit of time ponderin’ the Lord, His goodness, and just who He is.
    Now don’t yuh be daydreamin’ while in the saddle.  Keep yur eyes focused on the horizon and peek a time or two at what’s in front of yuh.  Be havin’ yurself a good week, and check that cinch, there’s nothin’ to ponder about that.
     Vaya con Dios.