He sat at the table watching the women work around the kitchen as the smell of bacon, eggs and pancakes filled the room.  The coffee was black and strong, just the way he liked it.”
            –J.S. Stroud (The Old Rider)


Har, har, har, I just have to laugh, Pard, it’s so sad.  We sure are livin’ in what is becomin’ an age of stupidity.  Here, pour us a cup of coffee while I continue.  That grand city of Berkeley that sits in California, of course, has made some mighty powerful changes (ha) to the city codes.  All gender preferences must be removed.  Required, done deal, overwith and done.  No longer are there salesmen in the city.  Those little covers on the streets are now maintenance holes.  No longer are there brothers and sisters, but only siblings.  How much human effort will it take to get the job done, or how much workforce?  There is now nothing “man-made,” but it is all artificial, manufactured, machine made, or synthetic.  Whoa, wait a minute, they messed up–man u factured.  Pard, there are so many moronic changes all in the name of political correctness and sensitivity.
    Pour me another cup will ya Pard?  This is all startin’ to rile up the gizzard.  Are we becomin’ more and more insane?  I mean, accordin’ to these folks they are more enlightened than the rest of us.  Of course, few of them read the Bible, but it is clearly stated, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27, NASB) Pard, maybe we should take these folk out on a roundup, and show them how steers are made.
    One other note that I just have to throw in here.  If you go on the campus of Colorado State University, don’t refer to yourself or another person as an “American.”  Yep, from what I read, that just might seem threatening to them, and hurt their little, sensitive psyches.  
    Listen, if yuh haven’t tightened yur spiritual cinch, yuh better do so now.  There might be some rough travelin’ ahead.  With that bein’ said, don’t you dare mount up without checkin’ yur cinch.  Keep yur Bible handy and yur gun oiled.

Fresh eggs and coffee sat on the dining room table along with butter, cheese and fresh onions picked from the garden plus peppers and herbs filled a bowl sitting in the middle of the table.”
              –J.S. Stroud  (The Old Rider)

Yur just in time.  Coffee’s just finished boilin’, an’ if’n yuh sit yurself down I’ll pour yuh a cup.  Ahhh, hot enough to burn all the hair off yur tongue.  Strong–just like I like it.  Don’t want to be wastin’ time drinkin’ weak coffee.
    It was a fine week that the Lord gave me last week.  How was yourn’s?  On Thursday, I had a grand time speakin’ for the Coldspring Library’s yearly dessert fundraiser.  I told them some stories; stories I tell yuh, not yarns.  Yarns are not truth, but my stories are, at least from my humble perspective, and in my mind.
    Doin’ my best to stay away from the stupidity of politics.  Politics has always been a worrisome game, but it’s somethin’ that we need, but just tell me how some folk can get so crazy and absurd with their ideas?  There seem to be so many whiners out there anymore.  I used to keep a big poster on my classroom wall–NO WHINING.  If people would could quit their whinin’ and fussin’ maybe there could be some work done.  
    Mercy, Pard, yuh guzzled that cup right down, here’s another.  We’ll drain the pot before I finished my jabberin’.  What I was fixin’ to say, was that if I remember right, one of the major sins of the people of Israel; one of the things that kept them out of the Promised Land was all their whinin’.  Bible called it “murmurin'”.  Why they even whined/murmured about how the Lord was takin care of them.  Just look at the table:  enough food to eat, yuh have coffee, and there’s even a wooden table to sit at.  I reckon before we ask for Lord from some of those extra blessin’s to be thrown our way, we need to be thankful for what’s He’s already given us.
    Saw a movie about a young kid ridin’ along with the herd.  The herd started to run and he had to abruptly change direction.  The kid fell right on his head–his cinch had come loose.  Now a-body never know when they might have to do some hard ridin’, so always make sure to check yur cinch.

She came with coffee and he sat down with his back to the wall and cupped it in his hands.  Never had coffee tasted so good.”
              –Louis L’Amour  (Kilrone)

I know, I know, I’m late and burnin’ daylight.  Pard, reckon I’m just becomin’ a lazy bum.  But wait’ll yuh taste the coffee and it’ll make yuh forget that I was slow in movin’ round this mornin’.  Ahhh, now tell me that ain’t good coffee.  If’n yuh do, yur a-lyin’.  
I’m still a little achy from that tumble I took the other day.  No, it wasn’t ’cause I didn’t check my cinch, or that the wife was flirtin’ with me.  I’d been doin’ some work, cuttin’ wood and had sat down to get the fire started so I could grill.  Stomach was gettin’ upset so I figured it was somethin’ I et for lunch.  I stood up, took a step, and then started my downward fall.  Yuh know, I used to dive for ground balls, but now that ground seems harder and it comes up to greet yuh.  Reckon I had a touch of heat exhaustion.
Beginnin’ to figure out I’m not as spry as I used to be.
    Say Pard, did yuh hear that Starbucks, I think in Tempe, AZ, asked some police officers to leave because their presence was scarin’ a customer?  Just throw it in the pile with the rest of the absurd things.  Hmmm, I didn’t think yuh could refuse a customer.  Let’s see bakers have been sued for not doin’ gay or transgender cakes.  Listen, there’s just somethin’ wrong with this picture.  More and more that scripture has been comin’ to mind.  “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20, NKJV).  Look at that first word, “Woe”.  Now, that’s a frightful word when the Lord uses it!  Folks should be fallin’ on their knees to thank the good Lord for His patience.
    My, yuh shore did guzzle that coffee down.  Oh, ’cause I was late, yuh had to drink fast so yuh could get yur errands done.  Okay, Pard, next week I’ll hopefully be back on track.  Yuh be havin’ a good weekend.  Be shore to visit the Lord’s house this Sunday, and don’t be takin’ a tumble like I did–check yur cinch.

Finishing a supper of bacon and dried apples, I settled back to drink coffee and pulled out my Bible.”
              –D.C. Adkisson  (The Evil Eye)

How are yuh, this mornin’, Pard?  I didn’t watch the debates among the clowns, but I did hear that they were offerin’ lots of free stuff.  Yep, if’n one of them gets elected we’ll all be tip-toein’ through the tulips from now ’til eternity.  Know what?  They’ll be plenty of fools out there who’ll believe them.  Some folks just don’t have enough sense to realize that nothin’s free in the life.  Nope, I figured I didn’t want to rile the ol’ gizzard, so I set back an’ enjoyed my coffee.  Ahhhh, sure much better than listenin’ to the gobbledygook comin’ out of their mouths.  What them enlightened folks were sayin’ was about as useless as a barbwire fence full of knotholes.
    An’ these young’uns, well’ they’re not actually young, but they’re a-clamorin’ for the debts to be taken away.  Well, to be paid by you and me.  Just don’t figure that!  They’re the ones who went out and got themselves in debt.  Guess they didn’t have much good learnin’.  A person needs to count the cost before they put themselves in debt, and then be shore and pay off what they owe.
    Go ahead, Pard, yuh don’t need my permission to refill yur cup.  Speakin’ of fillin’ yur cup, this is shore the time to keep yur own personal cup full of the Holy Spirit.  Times and culture could be changin’ right quickly.  I think of the times that I settled back in my bedroll at a camp up in the high lonesome with coffee and Bible in hand.  It’s good to reflect on the past, but more important is keepin’ yurself on the ready for what might be comin’ down the road.  Maybe yuh should put an extra box of cartridges, another pound of coffee, and Bible in yur saddlebags just in case.
    All that preparin’ won’t do you no bit of good if’n yur a-lyin’ on the ground because yuh didn’t check yur cinch.  Remember the basics!