I never thought I'd work in the oilfields but I have a part time job now checking pump-jacks and measuring crude oil tanks. It's interesting with all the electric motors, pumps, separators, and plumbing, it's a mechanical fans delight. What I do is go to oil leases and check the operation of the pump jacks, oil the stuffing box and be sure the belts are tight enough. Sometimes the gear boxes have to lube as well. I have to measure the quantity of oil produced and mark it on a form so we can keep track of production of the lease and be sure the tank doesn't overflow.
I don't especially like the smell of crude, but I suppose I'll have to get used to it.

One of my favorite TV shows from the 60s was "Then came Bronson" about a guy, (Micheal Parks) who drove around the country on a Harley Sportster, working odd jobs, meeting different people and helping them cope with their problems.
I met people who were in pain, physical, emotional, and spiritual pain, that caused them to find relief and escape, even temporarily, from their anguish. Most chose drugs, drink, or a lifestyle that looked down upon. I never, never looked down on anyone, because I too, was in pain, I chose to find relief by helping others, and it worked for me. Yes, I tried the quick, temporary cures, but my faith in God and humanity showed me that we all have inside the means to cure ourselves, we just have to decide to make the change.
I cried with these people, shared my food, drink, clothes with them, and never, never once looked down at them for being who they were. because I was one of them, I have know the best and worst of humanity. I once lost hope, lost everything I thought was important, but realized I didn't loose the most important possession at all, my values. "Treat others as you would treat yourself", my code. John Wayne said "You have to live by a code" My love of Westerns on TV taught me a very simple, valuable and necessary rule to live by.
There is a God, and I nearly met Him a few times, I praise him every day, in my own way, very often He was my only hope. I never lived the life Bronson did, but came close, a fictional character with a mission, but a good role model. One of my neighbors came by one day, he said "I know you used to ride...maybe this will help" He left a Harley Sportster for my use... How God works...that this man who I never really knew, would come to me and fulfill a part of the dream I had once. The first ride was pure joy, and theraputic, I forgot the feeling of freedom a motorcycle or riding a horse could bring. But more...someone, a virtual stranger, cared for me, as I would have cared for them. "Be a servant to your neighbor, your country, your God, and the joy and pride it brings will never mean you have to have a synthetic high, life is a gift, enjoy and protect it, love your neighbor, understand his plight, share his pain, anguish, and hardships, you will come to accept him and respect him for his struggle".

I saw "Big Red" run and break his maiden at Aqueduct Race Track in NY back in 1972, I still get goose bumps watching the video. A truly exceptional and beautiful horse.

I recently enacted a City Ordinance that requires people to control their animals, mostly free roaming dogs. The City hasn't had any control for years and the problem is very serious. I contracted an outside agency to do the work and had hoped that offenders would have just complied.
I found out just a few minutes ago...that some of the owners of the dogs took them out and shot them. I feel incredibly guilty for this, and if this action was meant to hurt me...it did.

How can people be so ignorant and heartless?

http://www.gtr5.com/

I never heard about this before, it should have been a major news item.

Anyone who has a Fire Dog (Dalmation) fursuit who would be interested in loaning (or donating) it to our Department would be greatly appreciated, as long as it's been washed, especially around the tail and crotch area, please.
I plan to do fund-raising benefits in the county and it would be neat to combine something worthwhile with fursuiting.

A piece I submitted to the Editorial Section of my local newspaper.



My impressions on volunteers:

A volunteer is someone who does service without expectation of reward or compensation, they usually do things that you CAN'T pay someone else to do.

JFK said once "Ask not...what your country can do for you, ASK, what you can do for your country" These words stuck with me ever since I heard that speech as a child, watching on an old B&W TV. I have met people from all walks of life and professions sharing their good will, patriotism, and duty to help others, their city, their county, their country.
Regardless of their political affiliation, faith, race or social position we, the people must take control of our problems, solve them ourselves, and if we need help from our government rely on them for support and inspiration, if we wait around for someone else to "save us" then we may wait for a very long time, and our small local problems will grow into disasters, then be out of our control.

I must commend the people of Newcastle, their efforts and participation in the clean-up effort are beginning to show results, junk cars are being removed, abandoned homes and vacant properties are being scrutinized for removal, and there is an over-all feeling of accomplishment from the people I meet and talk to.

Yes, volunteers will make it happen.

I was elected the President of our Newcastle Fire Dept. recently, and having been a Volunteer Firefighter I have come to know the risks, sacrifices, and efforts they make in order to protect life and property in our City and County. I have sometimes heard that Volunteers are not considered in the calculation of the costs of fighting fires, that fuel, water, equipment doesn't include the human factor, that it almost seems their efforts have no monetary value. In fact...the monetary value of a volunteer's sacrifice is immeasurable, How do you calculate the value of someone's day off, when after working all week at their job, trying to enjoy a rest, or doing something for your own home, a "tone" comes over the radio, they respond with an urgency that demands they leave their family, their personal obligations, and responsibilities, and become someone who is willing to put their lives at risk, they attend countless meetings and classes, prepare for emergencies, disasters, and do community service, volunteering to help the City and County, and their neighbors.
We all can't do the physical work a Fireman can, but we can help them in their mission. The Fire Department needs safety equipment, signs for the Fire Dept. building, tools to do the job of saving lives and property, and most of all your support, to let them know we appreciate their sacrifice and sense of duty to the community.
Please...help us help you... Stop by the Firehouse, talk to our men and women of the Department, tell them you appreciate them, and if you can... make a donation, and when you hear the sirens of trucks going to a fire in the middle of the night, say a prayer for them, to keep them safe.

There are many opportunities to volunteer in our area, The Hospital, Youth and Senior programs, our City Clean up program, and if you choose not to join an organized group, then simply wave to your neighbor, make sure they're safe, pick up a piece of paper from the street, support our school, our businesses, and inspire others to be do the most patriotic thing an American can do...Volunteer!

Here's another variation of Fallow Deer color types, Plush had the darker, chocolaty color in a recent post. These deer are in excellent condition, and the buck (stag) is magnificent. He has an almost human facial expression, the little guy on the right looks like Rootball, a kinda bewildered look and wary of the herd learders bellowing.
We have all variations here, including a very dark, almost black variety that is rare.

http://www.texashuntfish.com/app/forum/25824/Deer-Fight-Interrupted-by-a

This was fowarded to me from a neighbor and I almost didn't watch it. The impression I have of hunters, especially in Texas made me feel the outcome for the deer would have been....well watch the video.

I believe when we walk upon we earth we leave footprints of our existence. No so much a physical impression, but a spiritual one. If you enter a train station, a old ship, car, house, and you feel "familiar" with it somehow, the you have the ability to "see" or "feel" the footprints of those who inhabited, existed, shared that space with you.
I often walk through the woods, or even the city, and sense that in certain places, there are "hot spots", places where something significant happened. A war, passion, sadness, joy, even something as seemingly insignificant as a tree falling, or an animal dying alone. These events create a rift in the span of time and have existed since the dawn of time.
Our spirits are much more then entities who inhabit a physical form, they are eternal, not bound by shape, species, or geological location, they are exactly equal, have the same properties, and in their spiritual state do not suffer emotion or physical desires.
It's why I don't believe there is a hell, or heaven, how can we be judged by our mere earthly existence, our time in a physical form is so brief anyway, the soul shouldn't be judged by microseconds but in terms of eternity.
So you may ask why "good" people should expect rewards, and "Bad" people should be punished?
Perhaps we all had an opportunity to be evil, in another life, then in yet another existence led a caring charitable life. I believe there are a fixed number of souls that inhabit the earth, that we are "recycled" just as everything else is in nature. There is no waste, and every creature and form of creation has a purpose, even if invisible.
When I walk through an antique shop I am drawn to certain objects, and when actually touch them experience an sensation of familiarity, even though I have no memory of ever seeing it before.
I believe it's because the object was created by someone who took care in its creation, imagined it in their mind, labored over it, shared their life force with it, and in turn gave a bit of their soul into it.
I believe that when someone looks at us, animals too, they form an image on their minds, evaluate it, store that image, and it becomes part of them and their spirit. They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul, if we could look into the eyes of others we'd see everything that had an impact on that person, animal, we could also see the emotion that was associated with the image ie, love, hate, passion, fear. The image is converted into an experience, used to relive the instant the image was absorbed.
Our bodies need nurishment just as our souls do, we should feed our minds with meaningful, productive "food", positive experiences, that in the time of need can be recovered.
When we feel sad or depressed we try to re-live experiences that were happy, if you have no happy experiences then you will have no outlet for relief.
To understand that we are part of a wonderful cycle of existence, that we are necessary for the survival of all others, we can never feel unimportant or unneeded. To find your purpose in life may never be evident, but the reason is there, in fact, you may have already accomplished your purpose, and moving on to other missions. No one should ever feel less then anyone else, we are exactly the same, we may look different, but are created in equal measure.