He took a seat and she put the coffee pot on the stove before walking back over and sitting at the kitchen table across from him.”
              –C.J. Petit  (Cole)

Welcome, Pard, pour yurself a cup of coffee.  I’ve taken pen in hand to write a note.  I reckoned I’d help the PETA folk out an’ write a eulogy for them kilt lobsters out on the highway.  Don’t know if yuh heard of their demise, but it seems a truckload of them tasty things (ooops, ‘cuse me) were headin’ to market and they were hit by another truck and then spread all over the highway.  Those PETA folk took it pretty seriously and are even puttin’ up a tombstone for them.  Something like this:
              “Here lies lobster Pete
               Hit by a truck
               Now lays all over the street.”
It’s kinda sad if’n yuh ask me.  Ol’ lobster Pete would do better on the table covered with lemon and butter.
    Let me put this aside and put my lips to the cup.  Ahhh, good stuff this mornin’.  Say, yuh didn’t see no wild animals runnin’ around on the way over did yuh?  I heard that they done let those animals out of their cage on the Animal Cracker box.  I mean, those animals bein’ in a cage might do damage to someone’s psyche.  My mercy, it’s sure tough growin’ up these days.
    Next thing they’ll be sayin’ that the roastin’ of a coffee bean is torture.  I mean there are puttin’ up tombstones for lobsters why not protest the roastin’ then the grindin’ of a poor bean?  Folks are plumb crazy and there are more of them comin’ out of the woodworks, not cockroaches, but there sure not much difference.  Elections comin’ up so there’ll be the folk out there lyin’ their heads off.  I used to think that lawyers and bureaucrats were the worst, but I think those media folk may be on top of the totem now.
    The plate?  Well, sorry pard.  The wife made her first apple pie at the new homestead, and well, there just ain’t none left.  I didn’t mean to leave the empty plate sittin’ out.  With all the family around, they just made sure they had their fill of that pie.  Take a sip, and I’ll tell yuh for sure that it was good, plus we also had chili and cornbread.
    Listen, yuh keep that gun oiled and by yur side.  No tellin’ what’ll happen with these elections comin’ up.  At least we have the good Lord by our side, and He’s the one who is in charge.  Think of it, He already knows what’ll happen.
    Let me get back to my eulogy.  Huh?  Yuh don’t think PETA wants to hear from me?  Why?  Bacon?  I’ve eaten more than my share of bacon durin’ my life.  Hmmm, well, I’ve always said grace and thanked the Lord for it.
    Yuh be careful and watch for them animal crackers that are on the loose.  Check that cinch.

He squatted at the fire, warming his hands.  A frying pan filled with bacon lay against a rock and a coffee pot sat beside it.”
               –Ernest Haycox  (Free Grass)

Come on pard, give me a break.  Coffee’s on, strong, hot and black, so what if I slept in a little an’ left you waitin’ at the kitchen door?  I’m retired, don’t that give me the right to rest my weary bones a little longer?  Yep, yur plumb right, it makes me a lazy bum.
     I came across a thought just the other day that sorta proves that point.  One of the intelligent fellows said that we go about losin’ life a little bit every day if we don’t take advantage of the time allotted us.  He said if we don’t take advantage of life we lost it in a thousand small uncarin’ ways.  Ponder that!  I’m a-thinkin’ that there’s a whole lot of truth in that.
     Say, we’ve been havin’ plenty of guests the past few days.  The four-legged kind.  In fact, one day we had nine deer in the front yard, starin’ in the window wonderin’ what kind of varmints have moved into their territory.  Fun to watch them, but they must have smelt you comin’ for I don’t see nary a one of them this mornin’.
     I’ve been stayin’ away from the news cause it riles my gizzard, plus there ain’t a thing I can do about it.  Sure glad we have the Lord though, from the times I’ve glanced at it.  Sure goin’ to be gettin’ more ugly in the next few weeks.  Guess that’s the way of it anymore.  You mark my words–if the liberals gain control again, well, hang on to yur hat ’cause things are goin’ to go berserk.  The world and its values are rapidly changin’.  Notice I said, the world’s values, not that of the Scripture.  No, God’s Word is forever, and He does not change.  Hold on to that thought as you ride out this mornin’.
     One thing that can’t change.  Yuh have to always check yur cinch.  There has to be some security when yuh mount up.

He crossed to the fire and squatted there, taking up the coffee-pot, blackened from many fires, to fill his cup.”
              –Louis L’Amour  (The Quick and the Dead)

Tie yur hoss to the post and come in this kitchen.  Better wipe yur feet so the wife don’t get onto yuh.  I’ve got a few things to say this mornin’ so let me pour the coffee so I can begin.  Ahhh, hot, strong and black.  That’s the way to make the ol’ gizzard smile on a Saturday mornin’.  ‘Course yur company helps too.
    Been doin’ some ponderin’ pard.  Now, I don’t want to be disturbin’ yur aspirations, but we all need to now and again do some thinkin’ about the trail we’re a-travelin’.  I’m not speakin’ of the journey of life, but it’s sure involved with it as well, but I’m speakin’ of that trail that leads on to eternity.  
    Let me take another deep drink of the mornin’ nectar.  Folks get on the straight and narrow; they find the Lord, or rather He finds them and they get started off.  Problem I’m seein’ is that they are carryin’ around the same gear and headin’ off on the same side trails as before an’ the thing is, they think it’s all okay.  Sometimes, for sure, the trail headin’ off for the heavenly city seems more like an obstacle course, and it’s narrow with many snares and brambles along the side.  Been a time or two when those jumpin’ cholla almost grabbed me.  But I try to be careful as I go along.
    Refill?  Sure pard, like to see yuh smile when yuh get a taste of my coffee.  Back to what I was sayin’; there are lots of trails that veer off and if a person isn’t a mite careful they will lead back over to the trail that will take them to perdition.  I’ve seen some of those trails and have tried to avoid them.  Trails such as cares of the world, deceitfulness of riches, and lust of the eyes and flesh, and some others.  
    I knew the coffee was really good this mornin’, sure hit the spot, but it sure seemed the time went by fast.  That’s the other thing.  Don’t forget to check yur backtrail, don’t let anything come sneakin’ up on you from behind.  Don’t be livin’ back there, but sure check those lessons.  I know there’s one that’s trailin’ us all and there ain’t much we can do about it.  Back in my younger days, I’d rarely see him.  He was good at keepin’ his distance and hidin’ from view.  However, he’s more brazen today and seems to be trailin’ closer.  Yep, it’s that ol’ outlaw “Time” and he’s out to get us all.  Makes me glad that the good Lord is ridin’ this trail alongside me.
    Well, pard, when yuh mount up be sure yuh head on down the right trail.  Be alert, that’s why I always remind yuh to check yur cinch.

Before the sky started turning gray, I had coffee drunk and bacon fried.  I’d spent enough time waitin’ and watchin’.”
                    –Lou Bradshaw (Teton)

Gather in this kitchen for the coffee is strong and hot.  Say, they may still be a piece of pie hidden somewhere.  The wife made a delicious peach pie, and I know we didn’t eat all of it.  Ahhhh, that’s really good coffee this mornin’.  I shouldn’t, but I just have to.  One of my ol’ teachin’ pards dropped by yesterday on his way back to San Antonio.  First guest to come after we moved in, ‘ceptin’ family of course.  I had the coffee on, but I saw him sneakin’ somethin’ from his back pocket.  He was carryin’ concealed chocolate milk to put in his coffee.  Land of Goshen, he was hopin’ I wouldn’t see him doctorin’ up his cup.  But I let it slide; he’s one to ride the river with.
    Pard, yuh sure guzzled that cup down, let me pour yuh another.  I pondered what grizzled ol’ Lou said.  We sure do spend much of our life just waitin’.  Waitin’ in line, waitin’ for someone, waitin’ in the doctor’s office, waitin’ for something to start, waitin’ for our ship to come in.  By the way, mine was a raft and it broke apart not far from shore.  When I was in the military we would hurry up so we could wait.  Hmmm, what I don’t think we do is wait on the Lord enough.  Just sayin’.
    The other part of that is watchin’.  I’m feared that’s somethin’ we don’t do much of.  We don’t watch our step, we don’t watch our tongue, we don’t watch where we’re goin’, and for sure as shootin’ we don’t watch the times and seasons.  We just aren’t alert.  We don’t pay attention to life because we’re too busy.  Hmmm, with all the waitin’ we do, perhaps we should do some watchin’ while we’re a-waitin’.
    Let’s finish off this pot; there’s a few cups left.  Have yuh noticed the political rhetoric this week.  It’s turned up a notch or two.  The noise is startin’ to ramble off and soon it will be comin’ in waves.  Yuh better be careful who yuh listen to–keep the Word in mind as elections are comin’ closer.  
    Say, pard, I’ve just got to tell yuh this one.  Listen, there are nuts even in the great state of Texas.  Many of them are cooped up in Austin and that’s just the point.  There is talk of changin’ the name of the city of Austin.  Seems he was was the owner of slaves.  I think there are a few names up for vote:  Twinkie-Town, or Creampuff City.  There may be some others those council-folk are thinkin’ of.
    Well, you keep watchin’ and waitin’ and don’t be frettin’, after all what can mere man do to us.  We are in the hand of the heavenly Father.  That doesn’t mean we don’t have to do our part, so yuh check yur cinch before mountin’ up.