Forty Rod SASS 3935

And why, pray tell, is it in this subject?

I bought a "dial phone" a few years ago. It DID NOT have push buttons in a dial -looking thing but a real dial....but....when you dialed you had to move your finger all the way around and make sure you pushed the crescent-shaped stop gizmo. When you took your finger out to go to the next number the dial turned back to the starting point, dialing the proper number. I even found a 1960 phone book from Logan, Utah to go with it and I put Mom's old phone number, SK2-2175, in the center window. It was a perfect copy of the old black Western Electric 500 "saddle" series phones and was fun for awhile....but you had to have a land line (I used it as the kitchen phone in a five unit set. I hid the base in a tin breadbox.) When my provider went to a different system and did away with land lines, I gave it to my daughter-in-law who still uses it. She found a place in Las Vegas that still supports land lines.

Where did this come from?

One of the ladies had five bells, one was close to four feet tall, and one about thee feet tall on a frame on the table. I watched her use sticks, little metal mallets, three or four different brushes, padded sticks, a little dog-toy-like pillow thingy, and her hands. I had watched and listened to to her warming up in another room before the show started. She got so many sounds out of each bell I couldn't believe it. and I can't even begin to describe the different sounds. There was a five foot long, 3-4 inch diameter tube hanging on a frame. It made"thunder" sounds from an almost impossible bass to a mid-range tenor. There was a "tinker bell" like you'd imaging a fairy using.... a tiny little thing with dainty sounds that pierced right through the others when it was her turn.

I guess I have heard the bells for years, but never knew what they were before....and most recordings do NOT do them justice. Sitting within ten feet of them in a chapel with amazing acoustics for a fifteen minute show was a great experience. Actually, the entire cantata was beyond belief...except for a piano player who was a world class payer, but was not suited to this program.

What Eyesa said. I have been blessed with absolutely wonderful medical people, too. Some have become close friends.

Oh, THAT Tombstone. I thought you were talking about your own tombstone, but I ain't ready for that and was hoping you weren't either. Don't go scaring folks that way.

What's this "excuse" crap? See it. Want it. Buy it. 'Nuff said.

Prayers are sent, Jack. Trust in God and the doctors and keep us posted.

I still remember when our party line number was 47B. Then it became 2147b, SKyline 2 (SK2)-2175).....No longer a party line..... and finally, 752-2175. When area codes came along ours was 801...Utah. I also remember "Number please." "Miss Alice,(or which ever operator was there) this is Tom Taylor. Can you ring Mom's number so I can let her know I'm home?" "I sure can, Tommy. Hey, did your sister get over the measles okay?" "Yeah, she's back to being a pest. I'll let Mom know you asked." "Thanks. See you in church." I also remember "Number please." "I cut myself real bad. Can you call Doctor Malouf?" and having operator stay on the line talking me down, telling me to wrap a towel around the cut and keep pressure on it, asking questions until the doctor was on the doorstep inside of 20 minutes. One of the other operators had called the doctor and Dad and Dad got there about 5 minutes after the doctor did. I really, honestly miss those days.

If it's going to keep you awake nights or cause you any other problems block him. Life is too short to have to put up with that sort of burden.

Come on up and bring your gun. I'll show you my Star Model 43 Fire Star (I bought it new about 40 years ago and carried the heavy little bugger for close to 30 of those years. It still rides in the dash of my car with four of the nine mags that I bought with the gun.) and buy you lunch at Nana's. Then we can go to J&G together. I need some mag pouches like the ones they sold me a few years ago. It won't save you any money, but you can get a good trip out of it, a free lunch, and maybe meet some folks you never met before. Call ahead and make sure they are in stock, let me know when you'll be here, and come ahead on.

I never heard of a bell choir until just before last Christmas. Several denominations of churches got together for a two hour Cantata. One group (Lutheran?) had about a dozen, mostly ladies, with those wonderful bells. All had at least two bells, and three or four had more. I had no idea how many different sounds could be made with just one bell. I'd been to those cantatas before, but this was the first time a bell choir came. It was a marvelous evening and I'll go again for as long as I'm able. They were almost as good as the Mormon Tabernacle choir in Salt Lake City, and they had lots more types of music than just singers and pipe organs. Sorry for the off subject butting-in, but you gotta see and hear a good bell choir performance before you die.

At eighteen I had just received a SAA .45 with a 5 1/2 barrel for Christmas. It was made in 1959 and I was the first owner. It went EVERYWHERE with me....well, almost....for the next 38 years. I didn't get a motor cycle until three years later, a Harley 74 (75? I never was a motorcycle guy and sold it a year later.) Why? Because motorcycles ain't got no back seat for those cold nights at the drive in, no place for an ice chest, no heaters, etc.....and no matter how hard I tried I could never fog up the window.

I'd use that photo in my defense for shooting the SOB that screwed up spelling patrIot

The apartment that Shawna and I sub-let, for two weeks after we eloped, until my orders moved us across the continent had been occupied by three college guys. They were good friends of ours. They had painted the toilet traffic light red because "every man should have a chance to hug a redhead". My wife, a redheaded mostly Irish-Scottish lady, left a note taped to the top: "Gary, you BOYS will be very lucky if you ever get the chance to hug a real redhead." He told me that they all read it and laughed until they ran out of air.

I believe I'll stick to my 1947 Colt Detective Special 2" .38 Special with SIX shots. It' s as stock as a stove with only a Tyler T-grip added, and it rides very comfortably in a Vampire shoulder holster. I've carried it about four years since it was given to me and the weight doesn't even make a difference any more. A pair of speed loaders should be enough to keep me in the game.

I got one when I was about ten years old for free in a college guy's experiment. Our entire school district was offered them. It wore out and vanished about ten years after we got them done. It's the only tat I ever had and look at all the money I saved.

He should have been shot in the womb. (First heard that after my Dad watched a newscast with Jimmy Carter.)

Maybe some of those folks peed in somone's oatmeal (as my Dad used to say.)

I've been beating that drum for many years.

They never ran a string of horses or mules nor led a hunting party of four guys and all their gear in the mountains, either, I'll bet.

It's been a while since I had looked at it. The first entry was in 2003 and he stopped doing it about five years back. Sure a lot of names of our party who have passed during that period, many of whom I knew in person, on the wire, or just have familiar names. Many more have left us in the five years since Bob quit cataloging them. This "excursion" has been one of friendship, associations, and big vacancies in my life. Lots of memories there. Bob did a similar list of Veterans who had served and some who were still serving. I am proud to have my name first on that list. A lot of those names are no longer seen, died, quit, got married, just vanished, but the memories still come rolling out as I read the names on both lists. Both of those lists have names from places far outside the good old USA. Thanks, Bob. You done good

Found some Sunset at Cracker Barrel and bought two bottles to try it out. Not much of a distinct flavor and sort of "flat". I don't see myself buying it again.