That One Place in Ireland

If you haven't been to Ireland and don't have a problem with the Irish (How could any self-respecting individual have a problem with the Irish), you should consider planning a trip there.  My bride and I went over a few years ago with my little brother and his bride and found everything about Ireland, delightful!  The people, buildings, rock fences/walls, old houses, small towns, livestock, pubs and food, were all excellent and welcoming.  Of course, the castles were also pretty darn cool to see from the perspective of a 57 year OLD kid who still thinks "The Flintstone's" were one of the 2 greatest Saturday morning cartoons of ALL-TIME!

I took this picture inside a pub that, if I remember correctly, opened it's doors approximately 350 years ago; give or take 30 or 40 years.   (I think this is a picture of the place I'm taking about:  If not, my apologies to the Irish folks who own the wonderful old place in the picture.)  The building has been added on to a few times and has been in continual operation since it first opened it's doors in the mid-to-late 17th century.  I should also note that the original proprietors sold the place quite a while back.  It's now owned by some much younger people.

Visting Ireland from the U.S. may sound exotic to the non-traveler, but it's actually only about a 6 hour flight from New York City.  Considering it takes us only slightly less than that to drive from our home in Arkansas to visit our family in St. Louis, that's not that big of a deal.  Also, if you plan far enough ahead of time and look for great travel deals, you won't have to tap your great-uncle Sean O'Brian for a loan.  You might, however, consider asking Uncle Sean if he'd mind putting you up at his place for a night or two.  That would save you enough Euro that you should be able to afford a few more pints of Guiness or Smithwicks along with an additional early-bird special at that one place in Adair we liked so doggone well!  (Can't remember the name.)  I guess I should give up on my dream of becoming a world-class travel agent?  I'll try to keep you posted as things develop with my travel career.....

P.S.  I think I may have the wrong picture with the right story.  I noticed that the place in the above picture was called "The Creamery".  Don't make a trip to Ireland if your primary reason for going is to see a 300 year old restaurant called "The Creamery"; although I don't think you'd be disappointed with either place.  Now that I've better thought this through, you'd save a lot of money if you just stayed home and watched re-runs of "The Flintstones".  (Did I mention that it's one of the 2 greatest Saturday morning cartoons of ALL-TIME!"?)    

Douglas the Bulldog!

A few years ago our son, Tyler, acquired this little guy.  He named him Douglas--after the main character from the sitcom, "King of Queens".  If you've never seen a Bulldog puppy in person, you've missed out on one of life's simple joys!  A Bulldog puppy is likely as close as you can get to experiencing a living, breathing cartoon character; with the possible exception of Howard Stern or some Goomer like that.

Nearly everything these little guys do is humorous.  All they have to do is look at you to make you smile.

As a puppy, when Doug would take off running full speed down hill, his underweight tail-end would eventually come flying up over his head and he'd go tumbling rear-end over teakettle, completely unaware of what had just happened.  After squirming around in the grass for a while he'd eventually get his puppy-self under control and back up on his feet.  Then, he'd look all around as if to say,  "HEY...WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT!"

Anyway, I felt you might enjoy a few pictures of Douglas...who is now all grown up and living in the big city.  Aside from having gained about 60 pounds since I took these pictures, he's pretty much the same.  A very happy guy to have hanging around the house!

One Step Ahead

I don't think many folks are tuning into this sight.  Just in case you are, I thought I'd post something for your potential enjoyment.  With all the endless places we can look for stuff to read and pictures to look at, I realize it's not likely that this place is at the top of too many reading lists.  I'm fine with that, however, because it relieves the author of most of the pressure that comes with trying to come up with something original and memorable.  Like Granddad used to say..."That's something to think about."

P.S.  Headed to the 211 Cafe to visit with a young lad named Justin about his potential future within the World's largest corporation.  Then it's out to work on the barn.  I simply must stay one step ahead of my "Almost Uncle" Tom"; at least in the barn category.  I'll keep you posted....

Who Doesn't Have Freeze-Dried Coffee!

I recently  received this cup of coffee at 211 Cafe, just off the square in Bentonville, Arkansas.  Mauricio is a master barista.  At minimum he's a nice guy, knows a lot about coffee and serves up a very fine fresh-roasted cup of it made from Guatemalan  beans.  A cup of coffee like this won't come cheap, but in my view, it's well worth the extra buck or so.

The next time you're in the neighborhood, stop in the 211 for a good cup of coffee.  Unless of course you don't drink coffee e.g.:  "You don't have any coffee? How about instant coffee? You don't have any instant coffee? Who doesn't have instant coffee?  You buy a jar of it, take it home, put it in the cupboard and it's there when you need it.  It last forever.  It's Folgers, freeze-dried crystals!"

Anyway, you know what I'm getting at.  I'll keep you posted....

Deer Stabbing?

There's something to be said for a good ax, a good coat and a good friend.  I'm fortunate to have a few of each, although of the 3 categories, I have fewer coats than axes or friends.  That's not a bad situation to be in!

Next weekend, 2 of my good friends, Tony and George, will be at the cabin for some bow-hunting and campfire telling of tall tales.  George hates the whitetail deer more than just about anyone I know, as evidenced by the fact that he wants to kill nearly every one he ever sees.

Tony doesn't hate the deer as much as his son George, but then again, from what I hear, he rarely passes on the opportunity to whack one himself.  Rumor has it that he once tried to "harvest" a deer with his hunting knife.  (Yes, a hunting knife, and apparently a not-very-sharp one at that.)

My sense is that most people who are capable of getting close enough to a deer to kill it with a knife, would choose instead to shoot the darn thing with a gun.  Not Tony.  On at least one occasion (that he told anyone about) he chose to try to take one out with a semi-sharp hunting knife.  Forget the fact that he had a deer rifle in the other hand and enough bullets to take out an entire herd of deer.  For some reason (maybe because he was so stinking close) he thought it would make more sense to stab it with a knife than to shoot it with a gun; like most of the regular people who hunt deer.

Anyway, not to worry as the deer in question eventually died of old age before Tony was able to stick the knife in far enough to do much damage.  Out of the ordinary?  Some would say so.

Anyway, it will be my intent to keep you posted on these type events and any other stories involving outdoor apparel, sharp cutting instruments and friends who sometimes do weird things while in the woods...

 

Howard C French

According to Missouri folklore, you can never eat too much grilled ham.  Actually, I just made that up.  But now that I think about it, there may be something to that.

My good friend, Howard, of Rolla, Missouri fame, is somewhat of an expert when it comes to grilling ham.  I'm not sure where Howard acquired his pork-skills but I bet it was sometime between junior high and Dixon.  I'm guessing.

The key to ending up with world-class ham steaks is to not use charcoal lighter when trying to get your charcoal lit.  Howard says too much charcoal lighter will permeate the ham and the result will be a ham sandwich that taste something like the New Burg lunch ladies might have come up with back in the early 70's when they ran out of bread, butter, and pickle chips.  In other words, not too good.

I wonder what Howard is doing right now?  I bet he's considering putting Hollywood Squares on pause, getting up from his easy chair and heading into the kitchen to see if his Bride, Kerri, has any leftover ham steaks in a tupperware dish hidden at the back of the lunchmeat drawer.  If not, I'm guessing he'll just pour himself a bowl of cheerios, eat that, and then fall back asleep while his loyal bride changes the channel to something more exciting...like Wheel of Fortune.  I'm just guessing.

Anyway, on ham, 1970's game shows and Howard related stories, I'll try my best to keep you posted....

Paying Attention

This is what happens when you only halfway pay attention and give an answer to a question you heard only bits and pieces of.  Something we men began perfecting back in the days of Adam and Eve.

A few years ago my good friend, Anthony (the cat in the brown overalls), came home after a long week of business travel.  As the story goes, he was worn out and all he really wanted to do was relax in his recliner with a cold beer, a half dozen pickled eggs and a bag of BBQ potato chips.   His then 13 year old son (we'll call him "George") ran into the room and ask his Dad, what sounded to Anthony like, "Hey Dad, can I shoot some buckets in the backyard off the deck?" Anthony responded, "Sure George; have at it." What Anthony didn't know, because, remember, he was only halfway paying attention, was that his 13 year old son George had, in reality asked, "Hey Dad, can I shoot a buck in the backyard off the deck?"

Well, as you might have guessed by now, young George proceeded to do just what he'd received approval to do from his Ol' Pop:  Shoot a buck in the backyard off the deck.  Now, in many parts of the country this wouldn't have been a problem.  But for my friend, Anthony, it was not only a problem, it was a huge problem. Why? Because the Durrings didn't live on the outskirts of Dodge, Nebraska or any of the other numerous farming communities scattered across the Midwestern portion of this great nation of ours. No, not even close. The Durring family of 6 lived in an upscale gated community in the middle of the one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the United States of America.  To make matters worse, this deer was known throughout the neighborhood as "Henry the friendly Deer" and was loved by all those who had been fortunate enough to get close enough to pet him.

Anyway, as the old saying goes...stuff happens. Unfortunatley for Anthony, a local freelance reporter named Wogs Dandy had "coincidently" been hanging out in their neighbor's backyard in hopes of getting a picture of Henry, the super-friendly neighborhood deer, for a story he was doing on the domestication of previosly-wild and free range animals.  To make matters worse, Wog's cousin, Mitch Mitch, the local game warden, also "coincidentally" happened to be in the area. (He's the guy dragging the contraband deer.) Thus, the look of angst on Anthony's face when I snapped this picture on Nikon 5000D.

Fast forward to today and on the sordid side of the Durring Family History (which includes famous story lines like, "Honest officer: I thought the Seagull was a Canada Goose!" and "Did you just shoot me?"), this story is now in books!

Should any other Durring Family "wildlife violation stories" come up, I'll do my best to keep you posted...

Simple Pleasures

One of life's wonderfully simple but tremendously satisfying simple pleasures is grilled shrimp and beer.  I was actually going to write more, but after further consideration, I think that really does it.

On beer and shrimp related matters, I'll keep you....wait a minute...wait a minute: I just thought of something!  This picture reminded me of my longtime great friends, Randell G & Jami Jo, from Ft. Collins, CO.  The only thing the Warren Clan likes better than beer and shrimp is beer and grandkids.  I don't know for sure but I'm willing to bet at least one of Randell's old pair of metro-sexual Brogans and one of Jami Jo's favorite pairs of Levi's that they also like grilled shrimp.  And with the possible exception of a Sonic cheese burger and Miller Light combo, "You cain't go no better"!

PS. Don't forget: If you find yourself lost in Ft. Collins and completely out of money, ask the first person you see if they can point you in the direction of the Warren home.  If they say they have no idea who you're talking about, ask if they can at least point you in the direction of the closest store that sells weed.

    

Barn by Almost Uncle Tom

Until a person has their very own barn, there's no way to really know for sure how much stuff you really don't need. Once you've filled your barn up with stuff you can spend your time rearranging, cleaning, de-cluttering, fumigating, and de-mousing. It's called "Barn Life" and it's a lot of fun if you run out of other stuff to do.

This particular barn is owned and operated by my "Almost" Uncle Tom. I believe that's Aunt Dee Dee under the awning holding up something Tom dug up while she wonders, "What in the snot is this darn thing and what's Tom ever gonna do with it?" That's just one example of how it works.

Now, on a more serious note, a barn is an essential addition to any earnest outdoorsman's repertoire of guy-things necessary in the fulfillment of his duties as an outdoorsman. Forget that Paul Bunyon only needed an ax and a ox to clear the north woods and that Danial Boone settled the frontier with a muzzle loader and a hatchet. All Tom Bowie needed in order to do all the stuff he did was a knife, although he apparently also have a gun during the Battle of The Alamo.

But most modern day outdoor guys of the County Cole variety, in reality, can't get all that much work done with the implements used by our fore-fathers and fore-mothers. It's difficult to brush hog with a Bowie knife and takes nearly forever to clearcut a barn building-site with a dull hatchet. That's where the barn comes in.  If you build it big enough it will hold all the stuff you'll one day pass on to someone who will probably say, "What in the snot was Tom thinking when he bought this darn thing?"

If I come across any new family barn-information during the family reunion to be held this weekend just outside Califronia, Mo, I'll let you know. On other assorted and random non-critical information....I'll keep you posted.

BIGFOOT

It's difficult to comprehend how (with several million people keeping their eye peeled) no one to date has been able to get a good picture of Bigfoot. There has to be a few million trail cameras in the remote areas of North America set to automatically snap pictures 24 hours a day yet...not one legible picture of Bigfoot. Even the Discovery Channel has a few full-time teams of folks who spend their collective lives looking for Bigfoot, but so far they've been unsuccessful at getting a picture of him. Oh, we know he's there because they hear him every single time they walk in the woods; they just haven't been able to get a picture of him. (It has become more than obvious that Bigfoot is extremely difficult to photograph.) There have been more "near encounters" with Bigfoot recorded on video camera than there have been near encounters with Michael Moore recorded on GoPro, yet no picture. One single verifiable snapshot of a Bigfoot would be worth millions and millions of dollars, yet since the invention of the camera over 150 years ago no one has been able to accomplish this. Not even one time.

After giving the subject considerable thought I'm able to come up with only one possible conclusion: Bigfoot is invisible. And that makes him even more scary than we had previously imagined.

I'll try to keep you posted on further Bigfoot developments.

Stove Top Donuts

This is a rope that holds up one end of a porch-swing on the front porch of the Boon Fly Cafe in Napa Valley, California. The hardware was galvanized and stainless steel, the rope and string were marine grade and the swing itself was made from teakwood or something similar as I recall. High quality materials make for a long lasting apparatus or structure. I'm guessing that as a result of the discerning craftsman who hung this particular swing, that darn thing is still up there and performing admirably.

If you find yourself in the area consider stopping in. If you do, tell them that "that one guy from that one town in Arkansas" sent you. It could be just enough to get you a little extra chicken on your waffle or maybe a real good deal on a donut. I'd recommend the donut if you're given a choice. It's been reported that the chicken waffles are real good, but I have a personal policy to never get caught turning down a real good deal on a real good donut; especially when they're homemade. (You cain't go no better!)

I'll keep you posted on waffle and donut related business.....

NOTE: Grandma Keil used to make some awfully good donuts on the gas stove located appropriately in her kitchen. When you're a kid at your great-grandma's house, it's hard to do better than fresh and hot stovetop donuts and an ice cold "sodie" right out of the Ol' frigidaire!

Sunset Update

If you live to the eve of your 90th birthday, you get 32,872 opportunities to watch the sun set. Each time you miss the chance to enjoy the splender of the setting sun, it's an opportunity you'll never get back. Each sunset is somewhat unique and varies to a degree from one evening to the next.
It's been my experience that a sunset is best experienced in person.

Should I run across other pertinent sunset information, I'll post it here on Old and Ridiculous.

Howard & His Chisels

In a highly unusual development, this is the second "Old and Ridiculous" post in one day: An unparalleled feat as far as the author can recall. The purpose of this post is for the father of a good friend of mine. Miss Maggie Mae (of Rolla, Missouri fame) has plans to bring her "Maw & Paw" down for a cabin visit next month. Maggie's Maw gave her Paw a very nice set of brand new Marple wood chisels for Christmas and he's dying to set himself to work with them. The cabin will be a good place for Howard to do some long overdue chisel work. My life long friend is a woodman extraordinaire and one of the few folks I know who's ever worn out a Stihl AND Husqvarna chain saw...in the same day! (Ok, that's a little bit of an exaggeration to say in the same day, but he did wear the snot out of those darn high quality saws and he did it in just a couple of years or so.)

Although Howard doesn't make his living in the wood industry (not technically), he does have a fine appreciation for wood, whether he's sitting in it, sawing, splitting, burning, carving or just looking at it. For the record, his hot little wife, Kerri (of Dixon Missouri fame) is also an admirer of that fine renewable resource. She's perfectly content, however, allowing her adoring husband to do the woodworking while she curls up in front of the wood stove with a good book and appropriate beverage.

With all that in mind, my plan is to have the barn ready for Howard and his chisels when he and his girls visit County Barry next month. As legend has it, when Howard goes to work with his chisels, it's best to "...just git outta the way and let 'im finish!".

Thanks for tuning in and I'll try to keep you posted....

Sunsetting Barn

At the risk of you thinking I have some kind of weird thing about my barn, here's another picture of it. I took this shot a few weeks ago at sunset. Timing is a factor in nearly everything and taking a decent barn picture is no different. Don't wait up for this picture to show up in a future barn book or an actual world class barn blog: it's not of that quality. Regarding how it might stack up against one of "Almost Uncle Tom's" pictures of his personal barn, I have no idea. So far I haven't run across of picture of his. But once I hit the "post" button on my Mac-top, I'm guessing it won't be long before Aunt Dee finds one and forwards it on her phone. If she does, I'll post it on a future blog. In the meantime, you'll have to make due with this one.
I'll keep you posted on other personal barn related advancements...

Book-House

This is a book-house. Some folks have been known to put one in front of their house and slip their used books inside for passers-by to borrow, exchange, or I suppose, take if they so desire. It seems like a pretty cool thing to do if you reside in a neighborhood or residential district. I wonder if it would work for cupcakes or hamburgers?

In any event, if Mom sees this darn thing, I wonder how long it will take her to ask Dad to make one. According to Mom, building a little product like this probably wouldn't be any big deal and likely wouldn't take Dad more than 15 or 20 minutes to throw together: 30 minutes tops.
In the meantime, I'll try to remember to keep you posted on any and all book-house developments. (We'll see if this goes anywhere.)