No foolin', it's April

[Scarlet Angel]

Ok some of you that was wishin for the rain sent it here. I didn't ask for it, take it back. Please 

Stoney, do you have a gun cabinet right there in your living room? My dad does. Is one of the first things you notice when you come in the door. I think it tends to keep the boys in line. Or was it "if you don't have her home on time I will hunt you down?"

Good luck to those of you shooting!

[Four-Eyed Buck]

I used to have two of them in the living room, Miz Scarlett. Both of them had lights in them..................Buck

[Silver Creek Slim]

Boomer Johnson

    Now Mr. Boomer Johnson was a gettin' old in spots,
    But you don't expect a bad man to go wrastlin' pans and pots;
    But he'd done his share of killin' and his draw was gettin' slow,
    So he quits a-punchin' cattle and he takes to punchin' dough.

    Our foreman up and hires him, figurin' age had rode him tame,
    But a snake don't get no sweeter just by changin' of its name.
    Well, Old Boomer knowed his business - he could cook to make you smile,
    But say, he wrangled fodder in a most peculiar style.

    He never used no matches - left em layin' on the shelf,
    Just some kerosene and cussin' and the kindlin' lit itself.
    And, pardner, I'm allowin' it would give a man a jolt
    To see him stir frijoles with the barrel of his Colt.

    Now killin' folks and cookin' ain't so awful far apart,
    That musta been why Boomer kept a-practicin' his art;
    With the front sight of his pistol he would cut a pie-lid slick,
    And he'd crimp her with the muzzle for to make the edges stick.

    He built his doughnuts solid, and it sure would curl your hair
    To see him plug a doughnut as he tossed it in the air.
    He bored the holes plum center every time his pistol spoke,
    Till the can was full of doughnuts and the shack was full of smoke.

    We-all was gettin' jumpy, but he couldn't understand
    Why his shootin' made us nervous when his cookin' was so grand.
    He kept right on performin', and it weren't no big surprise
    When he took to markin' tombstones on the covers of his pies.

    They didn't taste no better and they didn't taste no worse,
    But a-settin' at the table was like ridin' in a hearse;
    You didn't do no talkin' and you took just what you got,
    So we et till we was foundered just to keep from gettin' shot.

    When at breakfast one bright mornin', I was feelin' kind of low,
    Old Boomer passed the doughnuts and I tells him plenty:
    "No, All I takes this trip is coffee, for my stomach is a wreck."
    I could see the itch for killin' swell the wattle on his neck.

    Scorn his grub? He strings some doughnuts on the muzzle of his gun,
    And he shoves her in my gizzard and he says, "You're takin' one!"
    He was set to start a graveyard, but for once he was mistook;
    Me not wantin' any doughnuts, I just up and salts the cook.

    Did they fire him? Listen, pardner, there was nothin' left to fire,
    Just a row of smilin' faces and another cook to hire.
    If he joined some other outfit and is cookin', what I mean,
    It's where they ain't no matches and they don't need kerosene.

    by Henry Herbert Knibbs

Slim

[Ozark Tracker]

well I hope it's warmer where everybody's shooting than it's been here today, the hi was about 40,  it's 38 now with a good north wind.

gotta get a little more wood hauled in fer tonight.

but the smell of them pork chops and fried taters cooking is making me warmer. I'd better hurry and get that wood

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Boomer Johnson

That was wonderful. Thanks.

[Silver Creek Slim]

I thought of Del when I heard it. 

Slim

[Ozark Tracker]

here's the same kitten that I had the picture of the other night, he's starting to really get comfortable when we bring him in the house.  he can sleep about anywhere.

[Silver Creek Slim]

Is it gonna stay in the house?

Slim

[Ozark Tracker]

he'll probably be like the other cats, just outside the door. but when they're little they are fun to play with,   
  and then we got a crew of cats down at the barns.  they stay down in the edge of the forrest.  they are good mouse catchers.

[Silver Creek Slim]

The problem I've found is when ya start lettin' 'em in, they think they need to be in all the time. 

Slim

[Ozark Tracker]

the older cats up here at the house have found out if they come in then they have to put up with the dogs giving them a bad time, so they stay out pretty good when you open the door.

  it's just when you step out on the porch by their feed bowl ya  have to watch out.  when Jackie takes out scrapes to em, she has to be sure and wear a good pair of shoes, they will try to bite your toes.

[Ozark Tracker]

Slim didn't you post some pictures of kittens last year?  do you still have them?

[Silver Creek Slim]

Yep, still have them. Can't give 'em away or the kids would cry. We weened 'em from the home at Thanksgiving time 'cuz we went visiting. The inside cat is "with kittens" agin. At least two outside cats are in the same situation, so we'll have a good crop this year.   

Slim

[Ozark Tracker]

I wish we'd miss a crop or 2 but that ain't gonna happen

as long as we can keep them down by the barns they sure are good,  we don't have any trouble with mice eating on the roll up curtains.  we just seldom see a mouse or a rat even out in the pasture.

[Silver Creek Slim]

We didn't have much of a rodent problem until the Bushhog broke last summer. With the tall grass up to the buildings, the cats couldn't catch all the rodents. Hopefully when I get it fixed, the rodents won't be a problem. 

Slim

[Ozark Tracker]

our problem when the weeds grow up too much around the barns is snakes,  they go in and try to catch the mice.  but ever since we have been here and saw what the problem was, we spray up to about 24 inches from the barns with weed killer and it sure makes it a lot easier to mow up and keep all the weeds down,

when it's clean we just don't see snakes around here,  I don't think we saw any for the last 3 years, course you go out into the forrest a little ways, all kinds of snakes, rattlers, copper heads, so to say the least I stay out of the woods in the summer, just let em have it.

[Silver Creek Slim]

The only vipers in WI are timber rattlers, but they'z only 'round the bluffs and such. We have pine, garter, grass, red belly, hognose, etc.

Slim

[Ozark Tracker]

Coffee's Ready

I got a big pot this morning, kinda cool out here this morning,  lots of frost on the high spots.

[Four-Eyed Buck]

Doesn't seem like there's a stampede to the pot this morning, OT. Guess we'll have to drink it all ourselves..................Buck
It's cloudy and 32 here, had rain overnight, but were below the snow line, I think. Not sure how Cleveland faired.................Buck

[Silver Creek Slim]

Morning y'all.
Thanks fer the coffee, Ozark Tracker.

'Tis 32 F and sunny.

Slim