The Corral

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Jim Bates:
I took this at Johnny Dean's place with a Phantom 3 Standard quadcopter. The beginning shows the property as seen from about 100 feet. The new trailer is owned by a friend. The head of Ranch Security is the rescue dog on the porch known as "Boy". The county has installed sewer lines for the first time, but not yet hooked up. We got the phone line moved from the old trailer to the cabin. Internet is high speed wireless. Phone is conventional.

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My cousin from up around Ft. Worth dropped by and spent the weekend with me. We visited the flea mart between Jourdanton and Pleasanton.
Went to the battle site of EL ENCINAL DE MEDINA..
This is way off on a rural route from Leming, near San Antonio. Huge beautiful Live Oak trees.
Back to my place, Jim took out his remote controled drone and took colorful motion pictures of my place and the townsite as the sun was coming up. AMAZING WHAT THOSE DRONES CAN DO!!! We could see all of Calliham and lots of the lake. See for miles and miles!
Had a great evening of wild stories of narrow escapes deep in old Mexico. He did some electronic repairs at my cabin. exchanged gifts to remember the visit, such as a J. Frank Dobie book from the 40s and a Jack Duval Big Foot Wallace adventure book. Also gave him a nice hunting knife and heavy leather sheath for his next "narrow escape" in the badlands!
JD
- Tuesday, March 01, 2016 at 14:37:54 (CST)

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I remember the crater. You took me there once when were kids. I remember it was hard to get to because of all the mesquite brush around it, but I remember seeing the water and the gas bubbles.
Lefty
- Friday, February 26, 2016 at 12:08:04 (CST)

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About the comment below, concerning the well blowing out.
A few years ago a neighbor let me read the San Antonio newspaper that had photos and writeup on that tragic explosion. Sure wished I would have had a copy machine!
Also someone loaned me an old copy of the Calliham Gazette. It was a pretty well done paper. I got to look at it for about 5 minutes!
Back on the well diaster site subject. As kids that hiked to it many years after, called it "Mars Crater" not knowing what caused it.
J D
- Wednesday, February 24, 2016 at 17:02:38 (CST)

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The (old)town of Calliham once had it"s own newspaper called The Calliham Gazette.
A local rancher accused the editor of slandering his and family name. A demand of a reprint was issued. Editor refused,,,and was shot to death.
My mother was a small girl then (1924) and remembered seeing the body layed out on a wooden door by the newspaper office the rest of her life.
During the same time frame, a steam powered drilling rig on the Lark ranch north of Calliham, struck a gas pocket causing a huge loud explosion heard for miles. The whole rig fell out of sight in a large crater killing one man, injuring another.
Three and a half decades after that some other boys and I hiked to that site wondering what had caused that crater. there was gas bubbles coming up through the water way down below and old pipe could be seen under the water. I often wondered just how many animals and people have stumbled off in that crater and plunged to their death in the dark or fog through the many ,many years gone by. ....and they say country life is dull !?
J D
- Wednesday, February 24, 2016 at 14:40:19 (CST)

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Funny, I cant remember what I had for breakfast today...but memories from about 1950 come to mind.. There used to be travelin' side shows that hit little rural towns back before TELEVISION .
One such showed old ABBOTT and COSTELLO black and white comedy films from a rattling old projector with film that had broke and spliced up many times.
A "show" was put on in the old Calliham school auditorium. Most of the town was present. I sat in first row near the screen. Ever one got a seat in an old folding school chair...it was show time. the old projector smoked and rattled as the room light was flipped off.
Abbott and Costello had a funny adventure going...until the film run off the reel. Then film pulled apart again. Room light flipped back on. I turned in my chair to see what happened. I found myself just a few inches from a lady with blouse open and nursing her baby. Kind of a shock to my 9 year old mind !!
Yep; I remember them...er.. I mean it well..
J D
- Wednesday, February 17, 2016 at 18:06:39 (CST)

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Miss those good ol' western swing tunes of the late 40s-early 50s? Remember SAN ANTONIO ROSE, ACROSS THE ALLEY FROM THE ALAMO.....now there is a brand new one "I MET JESUS IN TEXAS". Check out KRISTYN HARRIS and JANEVE ROSE MITCHELL. These talented little gals perform at COWBOY POETRY GATHERINGS all around the country!
JD
- Saturday, February 06, 2016 at 14:32:42 (CST)

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The thing about the goat story below is, them boogers had to of wandered over 20 miles to wind up on the Liveoak County courthouse lawn eating the vegetation there.
Many years ago my grandparents (Callihams) had just come in from a trip, only to find one of their goats had got through the old screen door and was up on the kitchen table eating the corn bread. Granny was really mad and ordered get rid of those goats now!!
One of Granny's grandsons, Travis lives right down the road from me. Had quite a bunch of goats a couple years ago. Travis gave me lots of jars of goat milk. Really very good for a person !
Seems the feed for goats and his chickens have really went up in cost! He may soon get rid of the chickens. I am gonna miss those big healthy eggs!!
J D
- Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 17:25:57 (CST)

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Must have back in the 30s when the (old) town of Calliham had just one phone. and it was in the post office which also was the Reagan residence. Mrs. Reagan was the post master for many, many years.
One day a call came in for a Mr. George Woodward. Someone had to drive across the iron and wood bridge that covers the Frio River and take a dirt road west for several miles to Woodward's ranch and inform him of the call.
When Woodward answered the phone, a voice said "Howdy George, are you missing some goats?
Woodward: I sure am! My herd vanished weeks ago! Darn near give up looking for the rascals!"
"well, sir seems it being so droughty and all, them goats crossed the mostly dry river. wandered around hunting something to eat for days and then crossed the Nueces ,,,,and are outside my window eating up the shrubs and grass on the courthouse square here in George West...PLEASE come get 'em!!
J D
- Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at 21:39:39 (CST)

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Our NEW preacher did the first service here sunday. Looks like he"s a "winner"! I barely made it to church and back due to three days of heavy rain! The road has been cut to peices by the pipeliners . I drowned out the motor on my little ATV in a big mudhole, but it started up again...I floorboarded it slipping and sliding 'LIKE long Tall SALLY' back to my tick and flea ranch.. needing a big swig of Dr. Pepper tp calm by nerves and gizzard !!
aLSO A BIG NEW CAFE IS RAPIDLY BEING BUILT ACROSS FROM THE CHURCH. oNE of the local 'good ol' boys' remarked 'Yeah, they will probably have a sign that says" HOME OF THE $12 Dollar HAMBURGER". Hope not po'folks gotta eat too!! Happy new year, mal hombres!
ol" me again
- Monday, January 04, 2016 at 03:29:34 (CST)

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Good gosh that (below) was OVER 40 years ago! We dont have even ONE teen ager at the Calliham church.
The week after the 911 horror, this little church was packed . People were scared for their lives and country...but after the second week we were back to the 10 or 12 'regulars' and no growth since.
As long as they can drink beer and stay glued to a ball game...like a pig in slop..
J D
- Friday, December 25, 2015 at 07:12:51 (CST)

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Real interesting look back, Lefty!! On a kinda funny note. During one Christmas time, my old dog was barking up an ear busting fit toward Granny's 'I went out there in the dark to see what the trouble was. A group of young boys and girls all clad in colorful 'yuletide' sweaters and some in red santa hats. All from the Calliham Baptist church singing Christmas songs in front of Granny's house. I yelled to my dog "SHUT UP AND GET OUT OF HERE!!" Well that teen choir bunch was scared of me any how and off they went.
J D
- Thursday, December 24, 2015 at 18:35:39 (CST)

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Those modern "Christmas Carols" are no good. I remember Christmas 1995 when I was working at Motorola in Chandler Arizona, they announced we were going to be entertained at lunch by the "Dickensian Carolers." When the singers showed up in 19th century costume, I was looking forward to some traditional 19th century carols like"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Silent Night." Instead we got "Jingle Bells Rock" and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree." I was so disappointed. I was so disappointed.
Lefty
- Thursday, December 24, 2015 at 18:02:37 (CST)

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gOT a local newspaper...as to be expected every year at least 97 pages are added. letters to santa from Miss Dewblossom's first grade class and Miss Persimmonslips' second grade class. Whatever the current fad or movie hit is reflected in the tots letters;
Dear Santa
I been a good boy except one time I cut off my little sisters ponytail...anyhow I WANT A DARK MOLESTORS SKULL HEAD DAGGER, Oh yeah get my little sister a POLLY POO POO mess in the pants doll. Make her happy so she will shut up!! Love JASON


DEAR SANTA, HI YOU CREAPY LOOKING OLD FART!! JUST JOKING DONT GET MAD>>>JUST BRING ME A WILLY WEE WEE pee in the pants doll. also a BONNY AND CLYDE "KILL THEM DAMN LAWMEN " ELECTRONIC GAME> bestest wishes THELMA
JD
- Tuesday, December 22, 2015 at 23:22:16 (CST)

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I love CHRISTMAS !! Jesus seems so near.
BUT if I have to hear Brenda Lee sing JINGLE BELL ROCK or Burl Ives and his Holly JOLLY Christmas or even that stone aged record Gene Autry recording of Randolph the Snotty Nosed Reindeer....think I will go berserk and overdose on three big fruit cakes!
I like the quiet times remembering all the wonderful people in the family that made Christmas unforgetable.
In my mind I say "Happy birthday precious saviour..."
J D
- Tuesday, December 22, 2015 at 22:47:36 (CST)

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a few notes: The sewer pipeliners worked here Sunday to get caught up on lost time when it was muddy and so on.
One lady got mad and pulled a gun, threw a nasty fit. Hope the law locked her silly butt up! Pipelines dont LAY themselves...Good grief !!
This morning as I was doing some laundry, didnt notice the dog had snuck when I left the door open.
I heard a bunch of racket going on. The dog run by me about 200 mph!! He had gotten into the Dcon mouse glue traps and couldnt free his foot
Thought I would
almost pull his little foot off to free him..
If them rascals didnt cost so much...a person could REALLY play some practical jokes on people...DONT try it on that lady who pulled a gun on those pipeliners!!
jd
- Monday, December 21, 2015 at 16:50:08 (CST)

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Getting that time of year again! A few years ago working on a ranch, I had to take a long horseback ride into some far reaches of place hunting fence breaks, strays and such.
Very thick mesquite and cactus had really grown up surrounding three sides of a large earthen tank.I saw something odd in the thicket. Got off ol' Dusty to look it over. It was one of those round tin containers with colorful Christmas scenes printed on it. It was heavy. No telling how long it lay there. Opened it. Had a fruit cake still sealed and never touched. No telling just how many blazing hot summers it cooked in that can. Somebody REALLY enjoyed their Christmas gift and packed it so far to get it out of sight!! Guess there are folks that don't think much of the dadgum things...
jd
- Thursday, December 17, 2015 at 10:59:32 (CST)

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Rained most of Sat. night. I had a mud slinging time getting church Sun. morn, was about one hymn late!
Speaking of church...we are going to really need a new preacher soon. Ours is retiring Dec.27th. He is in his 80s. His wife sings and pumps out those songs on piano like Jerry Lee Lewis...(well, not quiet...)
Give us a hoot if anybody knows someone who would be a great replacement pastor!!
J D
- Monday, December 14, 2015 at 15:05:39 (CST)

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Hey, today I recieved a package from AMAZON PRIME shipping. it contains a brand new SMITH & WESSON co2 pistoL !! Dont know who sent it. Looks like a great fun shooting little pistole !! I can really make new holes in the prickly pear cactus that is once again taking over my little pasture! WHO EVER >>>MUY GRACIAS MI AMIGO!!
JD
- Thursday, December 10, 2015 at 11:00:43 (CST)

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Loved the Texas Tornados musica this week! Great sound , Cary.
Fas forward to the old school days in the 1960s. Bro Mikey was maybe 13, skinny and short. Young idiot basketball coach called Mikey a QUEER because he wasnt doing well as a team member.
Really hurt his feelings. Dad found out. Dad grabbed his winchester 30-30. Threw it in the truck, got Mikey to go with him to Tilden and locate the coach' house. Dad was red hot furious!!!
Dad run up to little idiot coach. "Are you the S.. of B.... that called my boy a QUEER??
Needless to say the coach learned some manners that day. Dad was a powerful man, nearly blackened by the sun toteing heavy steel rods and pipe on an oil lease for over 30 years.
JD
- Sunday, December 06, 2015 at 18:42:32 (CST)

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Just sitting 'round shivering from the cold and wet today.
Thinking of ancient times. Was born very nearsighted. As a tiny boy I would walk very close to mom's right side when we went in a store so I would not get lost off.
This time we were in King's Variety store in Three Rivers(TX). I got to looking over the toy section. Then I saw mother leaving the store, I ran and got by her side. Off down the sidewalk we went...but it was the wrong 'mother'. A stranger. Soon I heard mother coming fast and getting me. It really scared her. The other lady never said a word..
Then when I was in the first grade in Calliham school, was walking around outside school yard. Saw a tiny puppy. Tried to catch it. It went under an old light blue pick up. The driver was talking to the school teacher. Who was on his right outside,
I crawled under the truck that still had the motor running trying to save the pup. I could feel the heat of the motor. I realized that we could easily get run over when the driver decided to leave. Grabbed the pup and crawled out fast.
Mother used to drive to the school after school was out to take me home. One day she was late ,aai started walking toward home. Soon here came a white car,Like a silly kid I jumped up and waved my arms around. The car stopped. I ran jumped in. To my scarey surprise.. it was a big cowboy type with a 4 day beard, huge hat....and a large bolt action rifle at his right side.
I said weakly..."I thought you was my mother..."
The rough charactor grunted a word or two. He knew where I lived and drove me home.. Good ole school days about 1949..
J D
- Saturday, November 28, 2015 at 18:11:18 (CST)

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I bet your problem was an overexposior to too many GRADE B western movies at the RIALTO, JD !
Juanita
- Thursday, November 26, 2015 at 01:39:38 (CST)

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Here" wishing all you MAL HOMBRES the very best Thanksgiving day. I have been at death's door quite a few times the last few months and am very thanksfull to be still knocking around pretending to be a cowboy.(well, damnit I DID have a herd back in....)
I remember how silly I must have looked as a big knothead kid wearing a huge mexican sombrero that resembled a giant cereal\ bowl, wearing an old '22 revolver on left hip and a pellet pistol on the right while riding a shetland pony in a rough brushy, rocky old cow pasture.
Guess I wanted to know first hand how Poncho Villa was living ripping and roaring like that.
Guess that's the main reason I draw such goofy cartoons...I AM A GOOFY CARTOON.
Have a great TD and remember the Dear Lord and thank Him for all our countless daily blessings!

J D
- Wednesday, November 25, 2015 at 17:48:36 (CST)

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Due to surprising events, sale of my guns are canceled...
J D
- Monday, November 23, 2015 at 13:27:34 (CST)

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Due to my new depths of poverty, I have a fine old Marlin model 3040 in 30-30 caliber for sale $200.
Also a nice .22 cal. single action revolver with white grips and holster for sale $ 120. Get'em afore I change my mind!!!
J D
- Thursday, November 19, 2015 at 07:43:16 (CST)

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After years of studying religions,I've come to the conclusion there is a difference in the Baptist church.
The northern Baptist say "They ain't no Hell !". While the southern Baptist say " The Hell, they ain't!!"
J D
- Sunday, November 15, 2015 at 07:55:30 (CST)

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Did I mention...it was 105' all the time we hauled haY!!
J D
- Monday, November 09, 2015 at 20:18:34 (CST)

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things have really greened since last week's rained! I used to see cattlemen or horse people rush to buy more animals thinking the drought broke....you guessed it...no more rain for 2 1/2 months.
Used to have ranchers who just had about 600 bales of hay bailed. Come to me in panic.."it's gonna rain tomorrow night and ruin all my hay!!!' You gotta get em in the barn right now!!!"
Now do you know just how much labor and trouble involved hauling in 600 100+ lbs. each in an old antique pickup with second hand tires already full of mesquite and cactus thorns?
And all the help you can find is a skinny mexican bot that barely weighs as much as a hay bale.
We got'er done.
Four months later as I drove by the field. There was the pickup tracks and our foot prints clearly vivible...it hadn't rained at all since we got 'er done...
J D
- Monday, November 09, 2015 at 19:48:20 (CST)

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JD, since you have internet, you can contact social security via email. Go online and search for social security or try ssa.gov.

Lefty
- Sunday, November 01, 2015 at 12:45:08 (CST)

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Still cant use our phones here for over a month!! Those pipeliners have torn up our roads and ripped apart the phone lines!!!
This is HALLOWEEN! My neighbor gal just told me she had the best costume and it didn't cost a cent. She's comming to the party and trick or treating as a nudist...
J D
- Saturday, October 31, 2015 at 23:11:45 (CDT)

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...Out of the frying pan...and into the fire." That's me right now! Lost my bilfold a few days ago. My cash, picture ID card, social security card, Medicare card and Debit bank card all GONE!!
Any ideas what I can do to get out of this mess!!
M ight have lost it bouncing around in my ATV over awful rough dirt roads a s my only transportation or fell out as I walked in my pasture. I've looked and looked until I am wore down!Any help ?
J D
- Saturday, October 31, 2015 at 08:24:22 (CDT)

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Glad to hear from you young lady!!! The storm brought ol'Calliham nearly 4 inches of really wanted RAIN! I went to feed some roping horses and stuck my ATV in the goo. Walked to Travis Calliham's house and got him to use his tractor to pull me out. Nice and cool the last day or two. Hard to sleep without a couple big fans blowing all night,,,deadly silance!!!
My goofy sense of humor gets me in trouble sometimes. A gun collector awhile back told me proudly he has a Buffalo Bill (Winchester) and now has a Buffalo Bill presentationBowie Knife. I replied "Now if you just had Buffalo Bill's soxs and underwear...you'd have a complete set!!" The ol' redneck got pretty mad at that.
J D
- Monday, October 26, 2015 at 00:19:32 (CDT)

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Autumn weather has hit North Texas this past wk. We got almost 5 inches of rain, along with much cooler temperatures. We sure needed the rain, but I can do without the weather getting too much colder!
Virginia Fay Clark
- Sunday, October 25, 2015 at 12:05:21 (CDT)

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a n t i q u e (1930) cROSSMAN RIFLE FOR SALE. lOOKS GREAT..NEEDS NEW SEAL. fINE CHECKERED WOOD STOCKS, .22 CAL. PELLET. $ 70 + SHIPPING & HANDLING. J D BEDWELL BOX 85 CALLIHAM, TEX. 78007
J D
- Wednesday, October 21, 2015 at 00:13:40 (CDT)

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For nearly a month the phones on this side of town have been off. Old washing machine quit on me quite a while ago, dirty clothes piling up in the bathroom. Still dry as a popcorn fart ! Travis, Cliff and me headed off on a late start to the big flea mart in Pleasanton. Nearly half way to Tilden, Travis discovered he left his zippered pouch containing his cards, money and such. So back to Calliham we went. Got it and headed back toward Tilden...realized we were nearly out of diseal! Back to Calliham we went again. This time Travis borrowed Cliff's little pickup and took two gas cans to Three Rivers to get the fuel. Then back to Calliham again. Put gas in big pick up and headed off toward Tilden again. Got more gas and headed to the Pleasanton flea mart again. Got there late and half the vendors had packed up and left. Still had a good time. Saw a mint Winchester 30-30 salute to Buffalo Bill. Shiny gold colored loading door and butt plate. Octagon barrel. Wanted $1200 . My friend bought one like it about 1970 for $150. Quite a raise in value!!
I bought a sheath for a hunting knife..just my luck it was too short.
Anyhow we had a great meal at CHRIS CAFE...
J D
- Monday, October 19, 2015 at 12:00:37 (CDT)

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For nearly a month the phones on this side of town have been off. Old washing machine quit on me quite a while ago, dirty clothes piling up in the bathroom. Still dry as a popcorn fart ! Travis, Cliff and me headed off on a late start to the big flea mart in Pleasanton. Nearly half way to Tilden, Travis discovered he left his zippered pouch containing his cards, money and such. So back to Calliham we went. Got it and headed back toward Tilden...realized we were nearly out of diseal! Back to Calliham we went again. This time Travis borrowed Cliff's little pickup and took two gas cans to Three Rivers to get the fuel. Then back to Calliham again. Put gas in big pick up and headed off toward Tilden again. Got more gas and headed to the Pleasanton flea mart again. Got there late and half the vendors had packed up and left. Still had a good time. Saw a mint Winchester 30-30 salute to Buffalo Bill. Shiny gold colored loading door and butt plate. Octagon barrel. Wanted $1200 . My friend bought one like it about 1970 for $150. Quite a raise in value!!
I bought a sheath for a hunting knife..just my luck it was too short.
Anyhow we had a great meal at CHRIS CAFE...
J D
- Monday, October 19, 2015 at 12:00:36 (CDT)

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...and best wishes to you John. Well, now guess it will be another 6 months before we hear from another soul... gosh we sure are popular!
J D
- Friday, October 16, 2015 at 05:24:44 (CDT)

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Happy Columbus day everyone have a great and safe week
john semar
- Monday, October 12, 2015 at 14:06:21 (CDT)

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Sorry for all the errors, that is what happens when you hurry, hurry.....didn't want to miss the Michael Berry radio show...!!!
j d
- Wednesday, October 07, 2015 at 22:29:22 (CDT)

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hEARING ABOUT BULLYING IN SHOOLS THESE DAYS MAKES ME THING OF THE OLD DAYS WHEN I WENT TO CALLIHAM ELEMENTRY.
I GOT A ROYAL BEATING FROM A GROUP OF MEXICAN BOYS QUITE OFTEN. I WAS OUT NUMBERED BY BIGGER OLDER BOYS. I GREW QUITE ACUSTOMED TO DEALING WITH THAT SORT OF THING.
MY PARENTS TOOK TO CORPUS EYE DOCTOR EVERY YEAR TO GET ANOTHER MORE POWERFUL THICKER PAIR OF GLASSES. LOOKED LIKE THE BOTTOM OF COKE BOTTLES.
THIS TIME WE WENT TO VISIT THE SEMARS ( LEFTY'S FAMILY) WHO LIVED IN AN OLD NAVY BARRACK. I WAS GLAD TO SEE THEM. LEFTY AND BROTHER ROY AND I WALKED AROUND THE OUTSIDE VISITING. I HEARD LEFTY SAY"OH NO HERE COMES TOMMY!' WELL, I HAD NO IDEA WHO TOMMY WAS. A BIG HEAVY SET KID CAME UP TO BOUNCING A VOLLEY BALL AND ASKING ME A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS. FINALLY HE ASKED IF I COULD ROLLER SKATE. I TOLD HIM NO BECAUSEIT WAS JUST SANDY OLD ROADS WHERE WE LIVED. HE BOWED UP AND TOLD ME I WAS DUMB AND HIT ME IN THE CHEST HARD AS HE COULD WITH THE BALL.
REALLY TICKED ME OFF AS I INSTANTLY HIT HIM BELOW THE EYE. I THOUGHT GUESS HE WILL KILL ME NOW!!
I HEARD LEFTY SAY TWICE "HE HIT TOMMY, HE HIT TOMMY!'
tHE BLOWHARD BULLY ALMOST STARTED BAWLING! HE NEVER COME AROUND WHEN I WAS THERE VISITING LEFTY AND ROY. hE HAD BEEN TORMENTING LEFTY AND ROY CAUSE THEY WERE MUCH SMALLER. SEEMS THAT FIGHTING IN CALLIHAM SCHOOL HAD TAUGHT ME HOW TO HANDLE THINGS OF THAT SORT...
J D
- Tuesday, October 06, 2015 at 20:11:11 (CDT)

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Thanks for sharing JD.
Lefty
- Tuesday, October 06, 2015 at 18:07:39 (CDT)

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OK Cary, here goes...first put GOD back in the schools, the government and all places it was taken out. Families need a Bible reading and discussion every day. Shut off the TV, the video junk. All other distractions.
Stop any more Islamic persons entering the U S A. They have sworn to kill all "infidels" and all that differ from their beliefs,
Turn back the millions of refugees headed this way. Let their country of orgin develop a government that helps the people instead of spending all the millions of U S taxpayer dollars we send to develop weapons of mass destruction. Weapons they have sworn to use on us and Israel.
Just a few ways to improve living here.. Would like to hear others opinions.
jd
- Monday, October 05, 2015 at 19:38:49 (CDT)

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Weather is quite a bit cooler in the mornings. I rode with Travis as he searched south Texas for a certain type motor oil for his Mersades Benzs Being dinnertime we tried out the famous Mi Tierra . A huge cafe of the finest Mexican food. We were not sit long when a Marachi group stopped by our tabe and did a very good rendition of Rancho Grande. Great food and the place was packed with hundreds of folks. !
On the way home, three or four times cars and pickups would whip in front of us. Came close to smash ups and making the 6 o clock news! Some people drive like loonytunes!
jd
- Tuesday, September 29, 2015 at 13:26:50 (CDT)

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" How the po' kids had fun in the country"

Back then I was just a skinny boy(nice guy...a little dumb'.
Other boy cousins would spend weeks wiyh me and family hunting something exciting to do. One game we made up was to see who could go the further picking a naughty word from each letter of the alphabet, example: A = ass, B = bi... You get the idea.
Our favorite diverson was hiking across grandad's pasture to the Frio River. Which was often not running during summertime but was still good swimming. Watermelons were left floating in the water to keep cool while we swam. They were a real treat after a good swim!
Those were just a few 'exciting things' we did back in them good ol' days...
JD
- Thursday, September 24, 2015 at 21:56:55 (CDT)

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( thing I had in this weeks PROGRESS NEWS...only there was art with it}

I MISS HAVING A HORSE,
BUT MOST OF ALL...
I MISS THE WAY IT WAS..
BEFORE THE URBAN SPRAWL.

I MISS RIDING WITH THE HERD,
IN THE BRASADA...THE LONELY PLACES.

NOW ITS JUST RETIRED CITY FOLKS FACES,
THEY ARE TALKING POLITICS,
OR SOME DUMB BALL GAME.
OR MAYBE ITS LOTTO'S BIG MONEY GAME.

LET 'EM CHOKE ON IT ALL,.
THAT'S OKAY,
I WOULD TRADE THE WHOLE MESS,
TO BE BACK ON THE OLD RANCH ONE DAY..
J D
- Saturday, September 19, 2015 at 20:32:46 (CDT)

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Another blazing hot day is about over.
Not easy to find something suitable to write about. POLITICS...no way...might offend a socialist! Same Sex marriages....makes me nearly puke to think about such.
Sports...good cutting horse contests is about all worth talking about. A bunch of 7 ft. tall men in shorts running to and fro bouncing a ball for hours and hours makes no sense to me.
So I decided to write on an all important earth shattering subject. I need about 3 or 4 old metal cap pistols to complete my display on a square of plywood. gUNS FROM the 40s and 50s would be great. MeTAL OR CAST IRON. NO JOKE!!!
J D
- Monday, September 07, 2015 at 20:03:23 (CDT)

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I had a nice email from one of my cousins tracking down some info on our Calliham and Bates family tree.( I think my family tree was a thorny mesquite) It is difficult because so many had similar names...such as in the old Mineral cemmetary there are quite a number of Daves and Davys also there were a whole bunch of Josephs and Joes of different eras in time.
My mother used to tell about riding in a wagon to Joseph Thomas Calliham's funeral service there when she was a small girl in 1922.
Our cousin Jim Bates from Watauga, Texas has an extensive bunch of information on the Bates family...
JD
- Monday, August 31, 2015 at 15:21:23 (CDT)

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Old Joe M<Coy finally attended church sunday. there was a healer there that Joe wanted to see if he could help his tired old ears to hear better.
The preacher put one finger in Joe's ear and his other hand on Joe's head and let out loud inspired words for the longest time
Taking his finger out of the ear and hand off Joe's
head as he asked Joe "how's your hearing?
Ol' Joe replied " Oh preacher that wont be until next Wednesday...
J D
- Monday, August 31, 2015 at 08:22:26 (CDT)

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A few little newsy items from the 'mecca of civiliation and human existance' Calliham, Texas.
Quite a large number of oil field workers have moved out leaving heavy hotel, motel and trailer parks investors owing millions.
Long time former employee of the Calliham store passed away in Oklahoma, Westley Bagget .
I never knew there was such a critter as a white turkey...but last week I saw one with her little ones in my pasture and she was making
a whole bunch of noise coming after me thinking I might hurt those little ones!!
There is a NEW gun shop by the old RIALTO theatre in Three Rivers. Saw some fine rare old guns! Of course you would have to have a good pumping oil well to afford any guns these days..but I enjoy looking at them..

J D
- Monday, August 31, 2015 at 07:47:27 (CDT)

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I have a great concern for the young people of today. seems they cant say one sentence without using the word "like" from 6 to 14 times!
Had a neighbor boy drop my and asked 'Can I borrow a ...like shovel?"
Well sir, all I have are real shovels that dont move "like" dirt but real dirty dirt!
Another word over used is "man".It"s either 'man' or if its more serious it's ''mot--- fu----'.
A positive thing about the young is their knowledge of electronic devises. Most 12 year olds can surpase me a mile on getting back online or whatever the case maybe;
What's bad is the public school s have taken out GOD of every thing.
Also history has been re-wrote to fit some socialist agenda. Just ask one when was the civil war or so on. I had one ask me if WW2 was after or before the civil war. Things like that make me sick for those heads are full of mush! THE GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS HAVE DONE A FINE JOB OF DUMBING DOWN THE YOUTHS OF TODAY...
J D
- Saturday, August 15, 2015 at 22:10:57 (CDT)

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Yesterday I went to feed a neighbors mare as I do every day, but this time the fireants had filled the barrel of feed . They stung the crud out of me before I noticed them all over the scoop! we poured a big bunch of powder all around the bottom outside of the barrel. Come back to feed this morning and didnt see any ants.
Sent my subcription money to COWBOY magazine this morning. Might help cooking up cartoon ideas.
About my tale of the hot catholic church in the '60s...Every word is completely true and factual. Except one tiny little detail.... there was not any fainting Mexican lady.BUT it could have been....
One thing that did happen was when an old farm boy who was just about raised in the church since he was a baby and so were several generations of his family...as he walked out I heard him say.."Wheeooo hot in that old son of a b----!" I am sure he didnt realize how that sounded.
j d
- Friday, August 14, 2015 at 20:29:15 (CDT)

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Hot as blazes here every day. Makes me think of back in the early 60s. I was going to the Catholic church every sunday. Back then there was no A/C and all the windows and doors were wide open trying to catch some air.
I entered the foyer. There was a tiny white table to the left of the entrance. I thought that would be a good place to leave my huge wide brim straw hat.( hat was huge nearly 2 ft. across!)
Went on in and started using the cardboard hand fan advertising a local funeral parlor. Terrible HOT that morning during the mass service. The place was packed. About 80% were Mexican families.
About midways through the service..I heard a whirlwind blow up. I somehow knew without looking..the wind picked up my big hat and around the room it sailed!
one of the old Mexican women screamed loudly and fainted away thinking it was the ghost of her long departed husband! Then I heard a loud SPLAAAT as my big white hat hit the wall and landed on the floor !!
A big hustle going on as dozen of people run to the aid of the old lady that passed out and was hanging face down on the back of the pew in front of her. I grabbed my hat and lit a shuck in my old pickup back home in CALLIHAM!!
JD
- Monday, August 10, 2015 at 07:08:49 (CDT)

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ON THE NEWS WE HEAR ABOUT "HOME INVASIONS", THUGS BUSTING IN SOMEONES HOME AT ODD HOURS MOSTLY ROBBING AND BEATING THE OCCUPANTS. WELL IN SAN ANTONIO NOT LONG AGO, TWO THUGS KICKED OPEN THE DOOR OF 'THE WRONG MAN'. HE SURPRISED THE CULPRITS WHEN HE CAME DOWN THE STAIRS WITH A SHARP SWORD. THE IDIOTS RAN LIKE JACKRABBITS!!
J D
- Thursday, August 06, 2015 at 09:46:34 (CDT)

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THINGS ARE SELDOM QUIET FOR VERY LONG ON THE TEX-MEX RIO GRANDE BORDER. A FEW DAYS AGO AN AMERICAN HELICOPTER MAKING A ROUTINE PATROL WAS FIRED ON BY MEMBERS OF THE DRUG CARTEL.
LATER A MEXICAN MILITARY 'COPTER WAS SHOT AT. IT OPENED UP AND RETURNED FIRE KILLING SIX OF THE GANG MEMBERS. JUSTICE IS OFTEN SWIFT ON THE BORDER...
J D
- Tuesday, August 04, 2015 at 13:07:22 (CDT)

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About that old .22 rifle, quite a few years ago ! had a big white hoss. He had been handled rather roughly and I had worked with him to calm him down.
One night when seems all our kinfolks were visiting. Early morning the dogs were barking their heads off down near the barn. Daylight I went to see what was the trouble. My white hoss (White Lighting) had hung a leg in a steel pipe cattle guard.. He badly broke the leg trying to get free. Called the vet but the bone was sticking out . I had to limp him in the thick brush .Cousin Travis Calliham was with me. I had to use that old rifle to put a bullet in his forehead. I still to this day miss that wonderful hoss.
jd
- Thursday, July 23, 2015 at 09:37:01 (CDT)

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/.Had a nice weekend, my neice and family from up around GILMER, Texas were here. Good visit. Ate at a fine resturant in Three Rivers. Roxanne's husband Jon presented me me with the ancient Remington (model 6) .22 rifle all us kids back in the 40s and 50s learned to shoot with. Back when we lived near the Frio River in McMullen county. Of course some lived in other places but spent lots of summer days there.
I well remember back in the early 60s asking my grandmother if she would sell me that old rifle. She said she would take ten dollars so I bought it.
Next my blind grandad came to our house and said granny did you wrong and over charged you and gave me back five dollars! Most honest man who ever lived. I wont ever sell it but I see that model on computer auctions that run up several hundred dollars. crazy crazy world aint it ...
J D
- Tuesday, July 21, 2015 at 14:40:47 (CDT)

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A MUY GRANDE howdy JANENE! Been a long time. A BIG FAT GAL HAULS THE MAIL NOW AND A FAT MAN PUT UP THE MAIL. SO ITS A LITTLE DIFFERENT AT OLD POST OFFICE.
I USED TO ENJOY SHOOTING THE BULL WITH YOU...BUT PAT WAS DIFFERENT, COULDNT GET MORE THAN FOUR WORDS OUT OF HIM EVEN IF HE WAS BEING PUNCHED IN THE BUTT WITH AN ICE PICK...
I RENENBER ONE TIME WHEN YOU ALL VISITED ME, I LOOKED AROUND AND ONE OF YOUR SONS HAD TAKEN APART MY AK47 HAD THE SPRINGS AND SUCH LAYED OUT ON THETABLE. Told him' I sure hope you can put it all back together again !' HE DID IN A COUPLE MINUTES!!
jd
- Thursday, July 16, 2015 at 07:47:44 (CDT)

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Glad you are back!! MISSED YOU and your wit!!
Think of you often as I'm working (especially in the heat!) ha ha
Janene Russell
- Wednesday, July 15, 2015 at 08:27:22 (CDT)

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About being sick for 2 1/2 MONTHS ; i used to think I WAS A REGULAR HOPALONG CASSIDY...BUT NOW I AM a DRAGALONG ASSIDY.
j d
- Friday, July 10, 2015 at 17:08:18 (CDT)

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I AM BACCCK!!
j d
- Monday, July 06, 2015 at 20:14:29 (CDT)

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Hi, how is JD doing now, that he is home? Anyone checking on him??
Fern
- Monday, July 06, 2015 at 15:23:46 (CDT)

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Did you get my comments to all of you Calliham-ites?
Fred Bel
- Monday, June 22, 2015 at 12:01:26 (CDT)

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I got JD out of the hospital this afternoon and took him to his
house. That is what he wanted. He is still a little weak but at least he was
glad to be home.
I didn't know what to tell him because he wanted so badly to go home
so I took him.
Just to let everyone know he is not In the hospital now.
David Calliham
- Wednesday, June 03, 2015 at 06:55:09 (CDT)

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THANK YOU GINNY CLARK FOR THE BEST WISHES...I GOT BOUT 10 days left in this rehab before I CAN ENJOY THE SPRING.
CAN BARELY WAIT....
J D
- Monday, May 11, 2015 at 17:52:41 (CDT)

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may3 cartoon has a cwgirl from an old 1934 ad. CARY added 'I M WOMAN, hear me roar...' well there is another song; I AM WOMAN, HEAR ME WHINE CAUSE I DIDNT GET A VALENTINE, I DIVORCED HIM GOT THE HOME AND HIS EVERY CENT...NOW HE SLEEPS IN A TINY ARMY TENT.
JD
- Friday, May 08, 2015 at 06:07:53 (CDT)

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HOWDY JOHN SEMAR.....WHO DID THE 1950S BLACK LEATHER MOTORCYCLE JACKET GO TO WHEN YOUR DAD CLYDE WAS KILLED , that horse hide thing weighed 5 LBS. I BOUGHT IT CAUSE i wanted one as a teenager. i found out soon that wasnt so good with cowboy clothes and big hat.second childhood I GUESS. HOPE CLYDE GOT SOME GOOD FROM IT. IT WOULD SURE KEEP WARM IN THE COLD WIND...
J D
- Sunday, May 03, 2015 at 14:47:51 (CDT)

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Get well soon, JD. You need to be out enjoying the Spring weather.
Virginia Clark
- Sunday, May 03, 2015 at 14:43:26 (CDT)

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howdy MAL HOMBRES...I am in a rehab place in 3 R TRYING TO GET IN BETTER HEALTH. WAS IN THE PLEASANTON HOSPITAL FOR A WEEK OR SO. SURE MISS MY OLD HOMEPLACE IN CALLIHAM...HOPE NO ONE BUSTS IN MY CABIN AND GETS OFF WITH MY 'FUNNY BOOKS' LOL.
j d
- Saturday, May 02, 2015 at 08:38:38 (CDT)

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Hello everyone
john semar
- Sunday, April 12, 2015 at 11:18:45 (CDT)

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Hello! Welcome to the Corral.
Lefty
- Sunday, April 12, 2015 at 09:12:59 (CDT)

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HOWDY JOHN SEMAR great to hear from you!!

j d
- Friday, April 03, 2015 at 10:40:34 (CDT)

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Hello everyone!
john semar
- Sunday, March 29, 2015 at 17:23:32 (CDT)

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South Texas (here ) has gotten tons of rain last several days!
Last night it rained ALL night and the same a couple days before that. Millions of blue bonnets and other wild flowers are up! No blue bonnets here for several years. Now they are back!! Waves of rain keeps coming out of northern Mexico. Lord bless.....JD

J D
- Saturday, March 21, 2015 at 14:03:25 (CDT)

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People came as far away as Colarado for Aunt Unabelle's funeral/burial services. Several told stories of humorous times gone by with Unabelle.
The Calliham Community Hall was packed with friends and kinfolks.


J D (who else?)
- Tuesday, March 17, 2015 at 14:13:16 (CDT)

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( march 16 ) Hey I bet no one out there remembers or every heard of JACK PAAR, as mentioned in this week's cartoon..except of course Cary Semar....
He was probably the first late night talk show host...


l d
- Sunday, March 15, 2015 at 17:53:35 (CDT)

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Aunt Unabelle 's funeral service at Robinson Funeral home in 3R at 10am Monday.
J D
- Saturday, March 14, 2015 at 09:18:13 (CDT)

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Aunt Unabelle Calliham passed away yesterday. I have no further imformation as to funeral services. She was 95.
J D
- Friday, March 13, 2015 at 08:38:19 (CDT)

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Thanks for all the good wishes. I yet still have a bunch of medical tests to try and find the problem. Lord bless all.
j d
- Saturday, March 07, 2015 at 12:39:16 (CST)

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JD, I hope you're feeling better. It's been a bad year for illness around here. Lots of allergies and flu. Get well soon.
Virginia Clark
- Sunday, March 01, 2015 at 15:18:12 (CST)

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Prayers for ole JD are welcomed. He is feeling a little under the weather lately.
Roxanne Warren
- Sunday, February 15, 2015 at 07:18:17 (CST)

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Lefty, you found the cause. I was using Firefox and switched to my Safari browser and worked well. Thanks
Dayton
- Monday, February 09, 2015 at 09:32:04 (CST)

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Dayton,
Old Radio should open a pop-up window. There should be a picture and an mp3 music file should play.
1. Maybe your browser does not allow popups.
2. Maybe your browser does not support html5 tags.
What browser are you using and what version number is it?
Lefty
- Sunday, February 08, 2015 at 23:13:00 (CST)

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Lefty, I like the new website. I told JD that I can not open Old Radio. I don't know what format you use there.
All my computers are Apple (Mac).

Dayton
- Sunday, February 08, 2015 at 22:49:58 (CST)

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Folks, please pray that the report I get next week from the doctor is not really bad. That I can do something to get my strength back. Been ailing for over a year now.
I let a homeless lady and her kids move in on my land. She is a wonderful pretty gal. She has a home now. Buying a 70x14 mobile home and paying monthly on it...with a little help from her friends.
A man here in Calliham goes th SA every Sunday and help feed and clothe the homeless that are living under bridges and under cardboard. I donated a large bunch of blue jeans to take last week. Hope they will fit some of them.
Mercy sakes...it must be awful miserable these cold wet nights!
J D
- Sunday, February 08, 2015 at 16:56:44 (CST)

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Going to be SUNNY today!!! HOWDY...new viewers hope you will enjoy this mess! Ol'LEFTY worked hard to organize this foolishness!!! You ol'peapickers stay in there!!
J D
- Saturday, February 07, 2015 at 08:05:42 (CST)

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Great news to hear about your husband! Bill and Idella also are much better. Goes to show 'prayer changes things' !
J D
- Monday, February 02, 2015 at 13:38:59 (CST)

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My husband Steve is on the mend, after having a double coronary by-pass a couple of weeks ago. He's still taking it easy, but is feeling much better, now that the blood flow to his heart isn't blocked. Thanks for everyone's prayers on his behalf.
Virginia Fay Clark
- Sunday, February 01, 2015 at 17:10:59 (CST)

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I remember sometime in the 40s, I rode with mother and cousin Trevia on the old sandy dirt road to Three Rivers from Calliham. A few niles from Three Rivers, both sides of the road was thick mesquite brush. On left side was a board nailed to a tree that was a display thing to hold painting that changed from time to time. Mother said "we better be quick out of here, that gal shoots at people that stops to see the paintings!" Scared me as a little boy, wondering why that was so. I wont mention the family's name. Seems they owned several acres there. The elders died leaving the girl alone. One of her paintings was used as coer on a national magazine. Which should have been a great start of a career for her. She had no car and I guess the mule or horse to pull a wagon died. From time to time She pushed an old wheel barrow several miles to the grocery store in Three Rivers. Always carrying a shotgun. Even carrying the gun in the store as she shopped and loaded the wheel barrow for the long push back home. Once someone asked the sheriff why he didn;t take that gun away from her. He replied 'Why dont YOU take it from her!' This is all I know to the story but this is a true account.

J D
- Friday, January 30, 2015 at 15:20:08 (CST)

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First met J P back in the 6th grade when I just started in Three Rivers school. He was somewhat darker skinned than others. He told me his daddy was Commanche
and mother full blooded Apache. One day I was getting a haircut when JP came in called the Irish barber Daddy. I knew I had been had.
J P would crawl around in the RIALTO tying people's shoestrings together, when the movie ended people fell allover the place!!
Lucky little rascal would kiss the cheerleaders twice his size!!
Later I saw him riding through Three Rivers on a motorcycle wearing a big black cowboy hat. I thought it was so "COOL".
He taught his pony to sit in the car seat like a person as he parked at the Tastry Cream for a milk shake. Every one got a hearty laugh out of that!
Years later I was in Beeville watching a parade when I saw JP sitting in the window of business place. We got togather along with another guy named Roy Adams. JP had paid his entry fee to ride a bronc in the Rodeo; The back seat of car was filled with riding gear and bronc saddle.
We headed off to the rodeo. Bad luck..he came sailing off the hoss the first two jumps...landing on his head as he had done the year before!
J P raised a big family. Was a lawman near Kerrville for many years.
He passed away a month or so ago. Was a real credit to the American spirit,
J P
- Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 11:08:18 (CST)

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Sometimes I think of days gone by.
Think I was about 9 years old when I rode with my parents shopping in Beeville. Mother had just bought me a rubber pirate mask for Haloween. It had a patch over one eye,lots of warts and a big scar accross the side of the ugly face. As we were going down the street headed home. Mother seen one of her old school teacher and asked dad to pull over so they could talk awhile. Happy to see each other and catch up on the current news.
Mother told her "I now have a little boy named Johnny Dean and he's there in the back seat!"
I will never that look of horror as the lady's smile vanished. She was not far from fainting!
Mother asked "What's wrong?' She turned and looked back at me as the lady asked 'Isn't he a little deformed?'
Mother said in disgust "Oh hes got that Haloween mask on!!"
j d
- Saturday, January 24, 2015 at 15:12:53 (CST)

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Fay; I will pray for your husband"s full recoverly, you can count on that.

Carol Bedwell"s sister Idella may have a very long time in rehab. A bit of her skull was removed to relieve pressure. Just shows how easy it is to have a serous accident on wet pavement.
On a lighter note, it is a beautiful SUNNY day here. Got to get outside and take a long walk to help be in shape..

] accident on wet pavement.
J D
- Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at 11:35:16 (CST)

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My husband Steve has been in the hospital in Fort Worth since last Wednesday, with a double coronary by-pass. Dr. said he can come home today if his heart rate evens out. Please keep us in your prayers.
Virginia Clark
- Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at 05:31:27 (CST)

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We have two kinfolks that really need prayers. Idella )Caro Bedwell's sister who took a bad fall the other night getting something out of the car. Hit her head causing severe fractures. Has regained not her ability to talk yet.
Cousin Bill Gazaway has had a serous stroke and also lost his ability to speach.
J D
- Monday, January 19, 2015 at 11:40:39 (CST)

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Lefty,
A wonderful film on your brother Roy. Really miss him and his wicked sense of humor.
J D
- Monday, January 19, 2015 at 11:28:35 (CST)

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I used to go wheel barrow camping as a silly kid. Cot , mess kit some groceries etc. etc. and my old single shot 22 Winchester. I loved the big starry nights. The wet dew in the morning gives an old Stetson hat a pleasant smell.
The mesquite wood burning and bacon and eggs frying.
Grandad's pasture was a wonderful place for a kid to learn outdoor life/
J D
- Monday, January 12, 2015 at 07:53:41 (CST)

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A big HOWDY Fay...I am pretty well aquainted with that old bridge. For nine years I gauged the river frow, took temps. kept a record of the height of the river and sent in water samples to Texas Water Quality Board and U S GEolocical Dept. This job required only about 20 minutes a day. But EVERY day.
Remember that concrete column on the left side, had a door that was kept locked until I unlocked it.
This time of the year hundreds of wasps would be hibernating inside.
I seen a flood that brung the water about 5 or 6 foot over the floor. A huge oil reserve steel tank bobbing up and down. All kinds of people swimming there.
I rode my hoss there one day, The crossing was blocked with a car and a big bunch of young folks swimming/ There was a young gal with a boom box blowing loud as she sit there day dreaming blocking the trail to cross the river. I sat on my hoss waiting for her to move for a long time. When she finally looked around..it was right up the hoss'nostrils. Scared her so bad she jumped up and ran almost in the river!
She gathered her senses and stopped herself.
All
\the people got a hearty laugh out of that.
Then there was the day I and a gal hiked up the river to that swimming hole/ This gal saw another gal she knew and engaged her in a conversation them grabbed the bottom
of her bikina pulling it to her feet. What I saw from behind her was DAZZLING WHITE...

JD Bedwell <cowfruit@hotmail.com>
Calliham, TX - Tuesday, January 06, 2015 at 14:59:58 (CST)

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Hello, JD. I hope you have a happy new year. I remember that old bridge in Calliham very well. My cousin Linda Calliham and I used to walk down there and throw rocks in the water (when there was water!). I was very afraid of walking across it, as there was always a few boards loose or gone. SO, I'd walk along the sides as best I could. Good memories.
Virginia Clark
- Tuesday, January 06, 2015 at 10:06:25 (CST)

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Hi Glenda, That was NEVER a railroad bridge. Closet railroad is 12 miles away in Three Rivers.
Calliham store sold hundreds of maps of Choke Canyon area. Dont know if they still have any.
About the old bridge, the road through it. The unpaved old road was the way we went to San Antonio and all points north. I remember it well. Was early 50s when the first HWY 99 was built going not far from my house. Now there is a new HWY about 6 miles west of here going north..
JD
- Tuesday, January 06, 2015 at 09:39:48 (CST)

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Happy New Year. Hope this year brings enough rain to fill the lake. I was wondering if anyone knows where to get a map of choke canyon? If it does come up enough to launch a boat I would like to know the lake a little better. I have often wondered where the old railroad bridge we used to swing into the river from would be. I know it is not there anymore than Granny's house is, but it might be marked on a lake map.
Glenda Harris
- Tuesday, January 06, 2015 at 08:26:42 (CST)

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3 INCH TALL "MARS MEN"
Early 50s, uncle Dave would visit his parents. They lived a little bit down the road from my family. Little Travis would walk to my house and we would play under the big mulberry tree back of my house. I had about a dozen plastic spacemen with removable clear plastic helmets. Travis really loved them. So I gave him 3or 4 of the MARSMEN. When he returned to0 elemtry school in Victoria, he took them to school.
Another little boy had the same thing and accused him of stealing from him. Teacher lady brought Travis in for third degree quiestering! "Where did you get those space men!" Travis answered "My cousin Johnny Dean, gave them to me." "Aw you are making that up..where does he live?".said teacher. and just where does he live?" Travis says "He lives in Calliham," I know you are making this stiff up." Thats your name!!" Where is this"Calliham"and where is it?"
Its a hundred miles that way. Travis told her. "I'll just call your mother and see about that!!!
She got aunt Unabelle on the phone. Told her to the affect Travis stole the those tiny "MARSMEN", Aunt Unabelle told her right quick Travis did get those things from his cousin Johnny Dean in Calliham.
So the mystetry was solved. Travis got back the toy men.
As time went by I tired of mine and shot them into pieces with my little Red Ryder BB rifle...
JD
- Monday, January 05, 2015 at 16:08:28 (CST)

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Tarnation , i meant "got her facts mixed up..."

jd
- Saturday, January 03, 2015 at 13:35:01 (CST)

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Hoping to clear up some errors the editor made in my write up.
Calliham ranch was established un 1878 not the townsite, that was around 1919. The gator of 14 ft. was caught near Ryder's beer joint about three miles east of Calliham. There plenty bigger that that in Choke Canyon lake today. I never said whole cites were moved except little Calliham which had a Texaco station, church, (harber's had been closed for years) and a welding shop down the road. My fault for the errors I told too much and the fine lady got a few things mixed up.
JD
- Saturday, January 03, 2015 at 11:37:32 (CST)

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Hey thanks a million for responding by comments,you all!
Be thankful if you have nice WARM home to weather out the cold wet spells. I don"t.
J D
- Friday, January 02, 2015 at 08:09:06 (CST)

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Happy New Year!

It's gonna be a good year, I think.
Lefty
- Wednesday, December 31, 2014 at 21:54:42 (CST)

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This really is exactly what I was seeking for, thank you
Magda Sheedy
Kobenhavn K, REGION SJALLAND %random_option%|us - Wednesday, December 31, 2014 at 21:09:07 (CST)

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Happy New Year to everyone. Hope you all will have a very blessed year in 2015.
Janice Calliham Brown
- Wednesday, December 31, 2014 at 18:20:03 (CST)

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Happy New Year to every one. I hope it's filled with love, laughter and fun, but above all, full of hope.
Virginia Clark
- Wednesday, December 31, 2014 at 17:08:56 (CST)

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Dadgum it I meant "cowboy boot tracks".
J D (who else ?)
- Thursday, December 25, 2014 at 14:31:27 (CST)

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Merry Christmas MAL HOMBRES !! A few more thought on HARBER'S store in OLD Calliham years ago. There was a kersosene pump to the left of the door. It was about 3 1/5 ft, tall with pump handle to get the stuff in your can.
One Hallowen night when I was gone to the old fiddler's contest in Sinton to help grandad (blind) to get around on the stage and keep from falling off.
The next morning it was foggy and I nearly run over in the middle of the road where some prankster drug it. I moved it out of the road to keep someone from hitting it. I drove up to town and told Mr. Harber. He swore it was me that drug it off because there were cowboy boots "at the crime scene."
Another time when I was headed back in the field one hot day to haul in hay bales. I picked up Travis CaLLIHAM who about 12 yrs.old at that time. He was eating a big watermelon slice and took it along in the truck. I stopped at Harber's store for a snack or whatever. Travis had been sitting on the bench finishing up the melon . Didn"t notice at the time but he left the old rind on the bench. Needless to say Mr. Harber was not a happy camper when he saw it I remember in the 50s my family of 4 getting credit there and in a months time the bill was $ 60 ...
JD
- Thursday, December 25, 2014 at 14:24:53 (CST)

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Thanks for that report,JD!
Lefty
- Tuesday, December 23, 2014 at 16:52:50 (CST)

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Monday, Rodney and Bryan Crumrine visited me. Their grandmother was Rosabelle Calliham Crumrine, my aunt.
Hadn't seen them in many years. We toured the Calliham unit of Choke Canyon park. Where our family tree was grown. Lake is down about 28 feet!
Rodney bought us a fine dinner at the Taqueria in 3R.
Really enjoyable visit!
JD
- Tuesday, December 23, 2014 at 09:11:59 (CST)

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Howdy Rodney!! I'll buy you a big meal Monday...
JD
- Saturday, December 20, 2014 at 12:44:49 (CST)

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Johnny Dean: I am in San Antonio for a few days and will be driving to Aransas Pass on Monday. Do you have any time on Monday to visit? I could come by and pick you up for an early dinner or at least a visit? Hope this works out for you. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Rodney Crumrine
- Saturday, December 20, 2014 at 12:12:38 (CST)

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In comment below, my cousin's nickname was 'Speedy'. He outgrew that and become Roy Semar, brother to Cary Semar, the webmeister of this website.
The little store in OLD Calliham was C C Harber's.
I remember going in there when I was 3 or 4 years old. Big glassed in candy containers where you could buy 3 cents of this and 5 cents a scoop of that. There was display of Case pocket knives. And display of dyes for clothing. You could buy a handfull of 410 shotgun shells or 45 long Colt ammo. There was button up shoes Best of all NEHI soda waters!!
J D (who else ?)
- Friday, December 12, 2014 at 17:38:39 (CST)

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From "Speedy Little Boy" To "A Big Man Roy".

Back in the fifties ,it was about as rural as you can get living on the old farm in the town of Calliham. Roy was about 8 or 9 years old, I was several years older. We walked the sandy road to Harbor Store. We bought us a couple of sodas, Mr. Harbor being the curious fellow he was, asked "What's your name little boy". Roy blurted "I'm Johnny Bedwell!" (That was my dad's name).
Harbor told my daddy about it sometime later. Roy was very timid back then. Chiggers nearly ate him up when wandered the river bottom. When we got older, i tried to teach him to be handy with a lasso, but he would wad the lasso up in a hard not.
We stayed at our aunt's house, she was off on a nursing job for a great deal of time. When I was outside, Roy was singing "You Are My Sunshine", but would clam up when he heard come back in. We swam in the old river often in the summer, once a fish bit some of his skin off his private part. It really scared him, no more swimming naked for him. In high school Roy was a great football player.
Time flew by, Roy grew into a very big man, raised a family, was a great band director, fine guitarist and singer. He passed away a short while ago. He is sorely missed by anyone who knew him.
J D
- Wednesday, December 10, 2014 at 13:26:11 (CST)

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Muy buenos dias mal hombres....
A cold northern just blew in as i shiver around the cabin. My thoughts of long ago come to mind. Must have been at least 40 years ago when i lived in grandparent's little farm house. Summertime finds me sitting on the porch as an old pick-up drove up in a cloud of dust. A young Mexican straw boss of a fencing crew walks up to me, talking, " Seems like they had a fencing job on the ranch. The boss told them to tear down an old barn and throw the rotten boards away in a burn pile along with the moldy old hay." While raking up the old hay they discover a wood crate that must have been there for several decades. They took it with them. He showed it to me in the pick-up. It was full of old guns. He said they picked out just a couple sawed-off shotguns and the rest was for sale. He knew i was 40 miles below poverty level so he just asked $15 for the whole lot. I was like a kid in a candy store on Christmas and a Birthday at the same time. Back then i didn't know much about guns & their worth. They were mostly rifles & shotguns. As time went by, i gave away or sold the old relics. It was a great thrill and i have studied guns ever since that exciting time.
JD
- Wednesday, December 03, 2014 at 20:46:55 (CST)

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Think grandad was called up and his poor vision got him sent back. Time went by and it was not important to him.
j d
- Tuesday, November 25, 2014 at 11:10:47 (CST)

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I doubt that that Harry Calliham was in the Sp. American War. Uncle Dave had a fine sense of humor, and no doubt his son is similarly inclined.
My Grandmother, Rosabelle Calliham, told me a lot about my great grandfather, but she never mentioned anything about his military service.
Mr. Cary Semar
- Tuesday, November 25, 2014 at 06:54:48 (CST)

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MR CARY SEMAR what do you think about Grandad and the SPANISH/AMERICAN war???
JD
- Monday, November 24, 2014 at 10:15:07 (CST)

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Thank you Mary Fern for responding to this Corral thing. Talking about deer hunting. We had a fenced-in grass field that joined the river and a nice deer stand to climb in to wait for deer. I made the mistake of letting a cute young lady walk about a half mime through the mesquite brush with me to the deer stand very early one morning. She kept laughing and talking. I begged her to be quiet. She would maybe about 30 seconds. We climbed up the ladder to enter the stand. That made lots of racket. I told her to keep watch out the back window for deer and me the front window. She would turn around to say loudly 'Well, there ain't nothing there!'!!
Think she must have eaten a big helping of frijole beans the evening before. This caused lots of giggling each time nature hit her. After awhile I had to give up and climb down .
We had horses in the place and just for fun I would take a bucket of feed up in the stand and rattle and call them. They would come out of the brush full speed and right by the stand and towards the river not knowing where I was. Then I would call and bang the bucket some more. They stopped and run full speed past the stand again and looked confused. It was really funny!
J D
- Monday, November 24, 2014 at 09:42:53 (CST)

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Had a cold morning, 36 degrees. Thanksgiving and deer season week! honey went out to see if he could get us a deer. Wish we could visit our family more, just live so far away. Hoping everyone has a wonderful week, with family gatherings and too much food! Having Turkey day at my house, but not a crowd coming this year, but we'll enjoy anyway!
Mary Fern
- Monday, November 24, 2014 at 07:17:53 (CST)

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Buenos dias mal hombres!!
Wonderful sunny weather today. I visited my cousin Travis and son Cliff Calliham today for dinner. WE discussed our early days living at our grandparents when we were kids.
Travis began to tell me abot grandad Harry being being in the Spanish/American war! lived just a few yards from him and Grannie for about 3o years or so and never a word of such. Learned a lot about history, about his dad's adventures Cival War and frontier rancher days.
Travis said his dad my uncle Dave told him when he as a kid the same facts. I had never heard a word of this!! Wished grandad and Dave were stll around to talk about these things...
J D (who else ?)
- Sunday, November 23, 2014 at 21:51:17 (CST)

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Say on TV that in VEGAS there is a church called the CHAPEL of ELVIS. Guess they must be PRESLEYTERRIANS>
J D ( who else)
- Sunday, November 16, 2014 at 13:05:33 (CST)

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Mercy, here I go correcting myself AGAIN, its LIMON PEPINO. the most miserable tasting energy drink ever devised for human beings!!
We had a fine rain. Water was over a foot deep on hwy 72 between the refinery and the big new gas station across the road. Saw a compact car drowned out with the driver sitting on the window edge trying to stop cars to push him out.
J D
- Sunday, November 02, 2014 at 10:16:08 (CST)

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The main part of the energy drink....is CUCUMBER JIICE!!
J D
- Saturday, November 01, 2014 at 17:57:36 (CDT)

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DONT MAKE THE MISTAKE i DID....i GRABBED AN ENERGY DRINK OFF THE STORE SHELVE WITHOUT LOOKING CLOSE....THE MOST HORRIBLE DRINK i EVER DID TRY....CALLED "limon PEPERONE" A GHASTLY NASTY AWFUL CONCOCTION! A customer talking about it said " It taste like BOILED SH..'

JD
- Saturday, November 01, 2014 at 17:53:21 (CDT)

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For the last six month I have been stopping by a neighbor's house on way to post office, looking after cats .(some varmint killed them.) and checking for any break ins.
The couple came home and gave me a new MARLIN rifle in a fancy case with a buck picture on it! I love it!!
jd
- Wednesday, October 22, 2014 at 05:11:48 (CDT)

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I hear I am soon to awarded "Very worst SPELLER in decades ONLINE". I worked hard for that title. At least I am good at somethinGg! I can proudly display my Rotted Apple statue in the bathroom window for the world to admire!
A perfect example of my talent is the spelling of "cannel" in last sentense of comment below.
jd
- Wednesday, October 22, 2014 at 04:58:16 (CDT)

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These BELLE & Grandpaw cartoons were started in 2000. My first efforts in comic strips. So bear with us.Hope you enjoy them.... guess they are more fun than a 'root cannol'
J D
- Monday, October 20, 2014 at 14:50:52 (CDT)

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An explanation why I had glasses off. Have to hold book about an inch and a half from eye to read. (below comment)
J D
- Monday, October 13, 2014 at 14:39:26 (CDT)

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Bought a great book. Its about GERONIMO The Apache war chief that left death and destruction in the southwest.
So I drives my ATV to the far end of my little pasture whare there is plenty quietness and a little rustic camping spot. Have a plastic lawn chair and little open end shed to keep the sun away.
Since I am legally blind in left eye and nearsighted in right. I took off glasses and laid them on my leg and was reading the book. After a long while I went sound asleep. Don't know how long. Sort of startled whan I awoke. Reached for my glasses, not there. No where to be found. Afraid I would step on them ant minute. Getting worried after feeling around the ground and weeds for a long time. "How in tarnation can I drive back when I can barely see? Then I thought about the DOG! So I felt around there behind the chair. The idiot dog had carried them off to eat I guess and got bored and dropped them. They were not hurt. What a relief to find them!! I was in a panic !
Always was concerned about working on horseback in brushy country and river bottems. Lost em a couple times but found them before a big hoof smashed em;
J D
- Monday, October 13, 2014 at 14:31:58 (CDT)

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Hi Lefty
I Get my money beggin' charity mail at Calliham post office...jd
j d
- Friday, October 10, 2014 at 19:40:31 (CDT)

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Where's your mailbox, JD?
Lefty
- Friday, October 10, 2014 at 18:07:14 (CDT)

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Here in Calliham, someone drove wildly and destroyed 4 or 5 mailboxes. I wonder just how many COORS LIGHT it took to accomblish that. He was caught the next day by two McMullen police officers.
Cousin Travis called me late yesterday evening."Want to go eat?" he asks. Thinking it was a simple Taco or BBQ we were headed to. Well it wasnt. He took me to fancy ranch outside of George West. Beautiful home! Large with porch going all the length. Was a bunch of cars parked in front. I thought "Oh no, its a big party and I am in sweaty muddy clothes!!" Turned out well. Was some folks I knew from the White Creek church. They was serving pizza, salad, Coconut cream pie, tea and coffee. Quite a bit better that tacos!!
After the meal we all went to the den or living room. Several had musical instruments and sang old Gospel songs. Travis 'played' a tub with pole and wire as rythum. Never seen one before.
After that a young man showed us the hunting knives
he had made. Very fine work. So it all turned out just fine...
J D
- Thursday, October 09, 2014 at 14:07:57 (CDT)

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Dayton, My skin doc is ALIMONTE from Victoria. He has an office there. He comes to Beeville once a month or every Friday not sure. This time his office was across from AZTEC CHEVY>
jd
- Wednesday, October 08, 2014 at 06:05:54 (CDT)

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Busy week! Nice cooler weather, every thing greening up. Lots pf rain liles. Plenty of new fire ant mounds.
Friday in Beevile, I had about 20 spots that were soon to turn into skin cancers "froze'off"Now I have huge blisters on face and arms. .Doc told me to wear a big sombrero and gloves. Lefty has told me that I have become a Mexican already. Not easy sailing down the dirt road in a ATV wearing a big hat!
But as an old timer told me years ago: Its a great life..if you dont weakin"
He also told me: A wet bird never flys at night. I never forgot it. Have not the slightest clue what that meant ?
JD
- Monday, October 06, 2014 at 06:38:59 (CDT)

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I had a surprise visit from Mary Danisch. She was our mail lady at the post office several years ago. (you remember her Janine I am sure.) She was looking fit as a fiddle! Still lives near Falls City. She got to look at my weekly cartoons.
If she didnt say a word I knew it wasn't funny. If she gave a loud hearty laugh, I knew it was a good cartoon.....
J D
- Tuesday, September 30, 2014 at 16:03:08 (CDT)

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Saturday the annual fire dept.BBQ and AUCTION was held at the CALLIHAM COMMUNITY CENTER.
It rained hard for hours stopping some from going but was a great turnout! Great food. The auction of donated items was quite entertaining! Every thing from a huge potato salad, custom made knives to BB guns! Lasted quite a while. (potato salad brought $ 125!) Had 3 inches of BADLY needed RAIN! Great time to join good friends and see old enemies.....NO shootin' or killing that day...
J D
- Tuesday, September 30, 2014 at 06:08:31 (CDT)

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Thanks FAY for the good wishes, It was just another day at the rodeo....
J D
- Tuesday, September 23, 2014 at 06:24:45 (CDT)

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Happy belated birthday, JD. Sorry I missed it. I hope you had a good one.
Virginia Clark
- Monday, September 22, 2014 at 09:20:47 (CDT)

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Well, in the first place them bears should have ordered a big TACO with Frijoles, huevos and potatoes swimming in Pace's picante sauce! Beats milktoast partridge ever time!
JD
- Monday, September 22, 2014 at 06:24:28 (CDT)

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Why was Momma Bear's porridge colder than Baby Bear's porridge?
Obviously, Momma Bear gave herself the smallest bowl. That's just how Momma Bear's roll.
Lefty
- Sunday, September 21, 2014 at 22:46:19 (CDT)

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Thanks FERN! Went to one of our elderly cousin's birthday party awhile back. Saw her a few days later and she said" that party was so much fun...think I'll have another one next week!'
J D
- Monday, September 15, 2014 at 12:08:08 (CDT)

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I want to wish JD a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! go to town and have a good meal and a good day.
Mary Fern
- Sunday, September 14, 2014 at 20:46:21 (CDT)

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Busy week. Bugler or buglers hit home. Almost go away with the new A/C. Me and Christine drove up late and they hurried off in a small white SUV type auto.
Deputy came by and we discover the hose or line with the freeon was cut and bolts missing. Jackasses are stealing to get the copper and selling it. Going to get some LEAD if they keep that crap up!
Had some sad news, there was a couple from Kentucky that vacationed here ever year or two. WE went to several flea marts and target shooting. Fine folks. His wife emailed that her husband was killed in a train smash up!
J D
- Thursday, September 11, 2014 at 18:28:11 (CDT)

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This HOT weather that goes on forever reminds ne of ol'Clem McCoy . In the terrible drought of the '50s,seems every one you bumped into, in a store , post office or where ever would always say'Hot enough fer ya?"
Well ol'Clem got so tired of it,,,he sort of 'went over the edge'. He hid a sawed off 12 gauge under one leg of his over'halls'. The next idiot that says 'Hot 'nuff fer ya?, gets a blast of double O buckshot!!He said over and over to himself. As you can see he was really 'disturbed!
Sure enough when ol' Charlie Johnson stepped out of the post office door with'Howdy Clem,hot 'nuff fer ya?'
Ol'Clem went haywire, jerked out the sawed off shotgun. THE OLD GUN blew up. IT HAD DIRT DOBBERS NESTS PLUGGING UP THE BARREl... \
J D
- Tuesday, September 02, 2014 at 06:28:39 (CDT)

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Pam, the gal I mentioned in the comment below is much better and didnt lose her eyesight Also her kidney shut down and that was TOO many soda waters every day. So all you Dr. Pepper and Coke addicts BEWARE!!! GET WELL SOON, PAM !!
J D
- Monday, August 18, 2014 at 15:22:37 (CDT)

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Thought I would pass along this bit of sad news. The tall blond headed girl named Pam,(sorry I never learned her last name) that has been working at the Calliham store for quite a few months. While she was sleeping a Brown Recluse Spider bit her on side of head. Terrible results! May have lost an eye and the other one is going bad as she has been clnging to life in a San Antonio hospital .
The prolong draught and awful heat brings out such spiders, ants, kadydads,scorpions Vinigeroons and such. Please pray for this fine gal...
J D
- Wednesday, August 13, 2014 at 19:21:05 (CDT)

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Janene, I can't tell you just how happy I am to hear from you and your family update. Us old Calliham townies have never forgot you and family. You wouldn't know this place any more with the oil boon going on! There are trailer parks crammed up on both sides of my place. Lord bless...........JD
J D
- Tuesday, August 12, 2014 at 17:08:44 (CDT)

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Hi JD--I check out your cartoons faithfully each week, just so you know.
Oldest boy (Jared) is in Afghanistan (again), he is Airborne Infantry. He'll be headed to one of the bases in Texas when he gets back--he's excited and misses Texas! He's married now and has a little boy who is almost 1. My youngest son (Kyle) just turned 21 and he's an MP in the National Guard, goes to college and works full time. I've meant to drop you a note a bazillion times, but either the computer decides to act up, or I'm busy (it's canning season again!) :) Take care, know many are out there that think of you often and keep you in our prayers! ((HUGS))
Janene
- Monday, August 11, 2014 at 14:42:45 (CDT)

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GRANDPAW BATES' WEEKLY QUIZ or brain busters!!
Where UNICHORNS real and existed in ancient times?

What was GARY COOPER'S last movie?

What does the BIBLE say about UNswearing an oath?

What year did JOHNNY CASH die?
Let's just see if we have some smart folks out there...!
J D (who else?)
- Friday, August 08, 2014 at 12:23:59 (CDT)

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A little followup to comments below. When Dad turned on his homemade A/C, Janey (Dad's cousin) had just stepped into the room from a nap. The big surge of hot air blew the thin oversized Tee shirt over her head, For a second I thought she had been hiding a couple plump cantilopes but realized it was HER.
Mt first gun was a solid lead German luger brought back from the war by Uncle Willy. Made to give as soverniers. Gosh! No telling what one would fetch at collectors gun show these days!! Next gun I think was single shot bb rifle. THink this was before I wore glasses. Accidently shot a girl below the eye. Thank God it didnt hit higher and blind her!!
J D
- Thursday, August 07, 2014 at 06:42:19 (CDT)

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These ol'"dog days' reminds me of Dad about 40 yrs. ago.
We never had any A/C. Dad once saw one at some rich dude's house and thought he could built one for us family. Dad made a large framework out off steel that fit the living room window perfect which was quite large. He added an electrict motor , built a big "propellor". Installed the huge thing in the living room window. Turned it on only to see books, magazine and pictures on the wall get blown all over the room. It made a loud racket like an old John Deere tractor.
Dad didnt say much, took it out of window and dumped out in the brush on the edge of the field.....
J D
- Monday, August 04, 2014 at 10:42:43 (CDT)

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Old powerbox off the other computer worked awhile.Then quit,Diane brought a new one. So far so good.
JD
- Friday, August 01, 2014 at 21:10:04 (CDT)

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I see by the guestbook
You fixed your computer.
I see by the guestbook
You are back online.
How did you do it?
Is what I am asking.
What was the problem
Dear cousin of mine.
Lefty
- Friday, August 01, 2014 at 13:47:49 (CDT)

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Hear of the SECOND CHildhood? Think it must be about the 40th or 50th childhood for me. You folks are probably tooo young to remember 1950s motor cycle movies such Marlon Brando's THE WILD ONE and the photos of Elvis (1956) when he bought his first cycles. He was wearing a fancy motor cycle cap with wings and star emblem on front. Saw one and bought it last week. Why I dont know it reminds of my youth staring at the pictures and wishing I had one!Well, for sure I dont look like Elvis or Brando!
J D
- Friday, August 01, 2014 at 06:31:29 (CDT)

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REACHING THE 3 DIGIT TEMPS HERE EVERY EVENING. Gets old and tiresome muy pronto! Like the first hour! Used to haul hay out of the fields in this awful heat! Then run and jump in the old Frio to get the ichy dry hay particles off my hide. Worked the field near Three Rivers (Tx) Along with several other men. Horace Wilson picked up a hay bale and hoisted it on his shoulder. A rattlesnake that was baled up in the hay, fell down in front of his face. Of course it was dead and dried out, but it scared him and he threw the bale hard as he could.... putting his back out so bad he hasd to quit work!.....
jd
- Tuesday, July 22, 2014 at 13:08:55 (CDT)

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We've had unseasonably cool weather lately, here in N. Texas. We got about 10 inches of rain last week, which sure helped the stock tanks, etc. Now, we're in for 100 degree temperatures this week. You just never know what the weather is going to be like in Texas, do you?
Virginia Clark
- Monday, July 21, 2014 at 15:27:35 (CDT)

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All this HOT weather reminds of the Frio River. Felt so good swimming in it. Sometimes raising up out of water, a couple huge Horse Flies (big as Humming birds) would bite your bare back. That wasn't exactly good. If you were still for a few minutes, a water snake's head would be seen swimming in front of you with his body under water.
You get scared slap the water...wrong thing! Snake dives under water where you cant tell where he is at...
J D (who else ?)
- Saturday, July 19, 2014 at 05:54:26 (CDT)

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DONT TRY THIS AT HOME: Trying out a new co2 air pistol, I aimed at pasteboard box in corner of my kitchen. since it was full of magazines, bills and odds and ends,thought the BB could not go far. I shot..there was a LOUD BOOM! Forgot I had put a spray can of ant & roach killer in the box. The high velocity BB gun shoots hard. Can blew up spraying the poison all over the room! I was gasping for breathe and coughing my head off instantly!! Had to turn on fan and open the window for 3 or 4 hours to rid the place of the awful stuff! These modern co2 guns shoot HARDER than the old kid guns of long ago!
J D
- Friday, July 04, 2014 at 06:58:48 (CDT)

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The old summer heat has caught up with us! Today is a real HOTBOX! Big rains all around us. Lots of water standind in the Jourdanton/Pleasanton area thursday morning.
I had a series of medical tests that day, Blood work done and radioactive stuff injected in my blood stream to see how the arteries were doing their job.
Thought maybe when I had to urinate IT WOULD GLOW in the dark! Or when I had to...well never mind that... Lord bless, J.D
J D
- Sunday, June 29, 2014 at 17:46:36 (CDT)

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This STUPID computer cut off over HALF of the story I wrote below!! I worked hard on developing it!! About ready to chunk this thing in the CREEK!!
J D
- Friday, June 20, 2014 at 12:40:49 (CDT)

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any how his question is "How can I UNSWEAR a foolish thing I swore in a moment of anger?" And he used to swear A LOT. Once his left tan boot hurt his foot badly. So he swore he would NEVER wear another tan boot. It wasn't the color, it was found out the boot came out of another pair at the flea mart where he got 'em. Now he want to go back wearing tan boots because they are cooler than dark ones. I have no idea what to tell him. Except BE CAREFUL what you swear to!! Any one
* Back to the Corral have any idea about UNSWEARING ?
J D
- Friday, June 20, 2014 at 12:29:30 (CDT)

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Hi Roxy.
No those are just a few photos taken at the 25th REUNION, no video this time.
J D
- Friday, June 13, 2014 at 06:25:20 (CDT)

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I clicked the recent reunion link and I can only see a still shot. I would assume its supposed to be a video like the other reunion links. let me know if I have done something wrong or if the video didn't properly upload. Thanks!
Roxanne Warren
- Thursday, June 12, 2014 at 15:02:22 (CDT)

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Someone please help Lefty out. He has so few pics up, and I KNOW there were gobs of pics taken. Mine just happen to be on a throw-away camera so those will have to wait to develop, but most had iphones or digital cameras and it's very easy to load them to your computer. I would love to see all that everyone took!
Patrick Calliham
- Monday, June 09, 2014 at 22:56:49 (CDT)

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The REUNION was a howling succes! Havent heard the total number that signed in yet. I regret having to miss a lot of it due to being ill. But them things happen. It was great so many came. Year before last only 6 came and we figured it was time to quit the REUNIONS. Last year was not bad ....BUT this year was GREAT!! Thanks every body ! Especialy Nora Mae's daughter and family who worked so hard in the kitchen.
J D
- Monday, June 09, 2014 at 21:14:24 (CDT)

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Thanks, JD. We'll be there. We're heading down there on Wednesday, so we can spend some time in the area, catching up with family.
Virginia Clark
- Wednesday, May 28, 2014 at 12:42:46 (CDT)

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I would think about 10 AM would be a good time to arrive.
J D
- Wednesday, May 28, 2014 at 06:39:08 (CDT)

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What time should we arrive for the reunion? We all can't wait to see everyone and get re-acquainted.
Virginia F. Clark
- Tuesday, May 27, 2014 at 08:47:04 (CDT)

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You bet. During the reunion week end, we will confine our conversation to religion. It's a safe subject!
Lefty
- Thursday, May 22, 2014 at 18:54:50 (CDT)

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Lefy, great to hear you will be there! Lets AVOID politics, or we might get into a knock down drag out...really make a show for everyone!!! LOL
J D
- Thursday, May 22, 2014 at 18:06:20 (CDT)

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I'll be there.
Lefty
- Thursday, May 22, 2014 at 15:37:47 (CDT)

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We will have the 25th annual Calliham REUNION on June 7th.
TRY TO BE THERE!!!
J D
- Tuesday, May 20, 2014 at 14:11:29 (CDT)

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Hi Virgina. Cary has the 1989 and 1990 videos of our reunions on this CORRAL dept. Lots have long passed away. My mother, Uncle Dave and aunt Rosabelle to name a few. Lots of the people I have no idea who they are! I see myself looking like a beanpole from an old western movie. I still had color to my hair!! I nearly got stung to death by fireants this evening while I was feeding a horse. They got disturbed by the rain and were hunting some meat. I am still hurting!!
JD
- Monday, May 12, 2014 at 18:37:23 (CDT)

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Hi Virgina. Cary has the 1989 and 1990 videos of our reunions on this CORRAL dept. Lots have long passed away. My mother, Uncle Dave and aunt Rosabelle to name a few. Lots of the people I have no idea who they are! I see myself looking like a beanpole from an old western movie. I still had color to my hair!! I nearly got stung to death by fireants this evening while I was feeding a horse. They got disturbed by the rain and were hunting some meat. I am still hurting!!
JD
- Monday, May 12, 2014 at 18:37:23 (CDT)

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JD, I sure hope the reunion is on. My brother,my two sisters and I are planning on being there. It's been 10 yrs. since we were there last. We are all getting older, so need to do it now.
Virginia Clark
- Sunday, May 11, 2014 at 15:39:53 (CDT)

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HAPPY MOM'S DAY!!! I had 4 (four) inches RAIN the last few days! Cool cloud cover right now. Wished we could bottle it up for July and August! Soon be another REUNION first Sat. in June! At least I think so, have not gotten the OFFICIAL word from Nora Mae yet..Will let you know. been having fun watching Cary's home videos of a couple reunions from '89 and '90.
JD
- Sunday, May 11, 2014 at 14:19:25 (CDT)

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Cactus here has a great display of bright yellow blooms
while the yuccas have about lost all their blooms.
Choke Canyon Lake is really down at 26 ft.
J D
- Thursday, April 24, 2014 at 11:05:10 (CDT)

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LEFTY,
Really loved the LONESOME DOVE music this week!! Probably the best western ever made! Along with THE SEARCHERS, RED RIVER and SHANE!! A more current favorite of mine is TOMBSTONE with KURT RUSSEL. There is a whole cult
inspired by that one. Guys trying to look like "Johnny Ringo' and 'Wyatt Earp' at those Single Action meets. Thank you Cary...
J D
- Sunday, April 13, 2014 at 19:21:46 (CDT)

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I meant JAY HARRIS not Jay Hay....I seem to have a beautiful little gal on my mind!
J D
- Monday, March 31, 2014 at 12:08:00 (CDT)

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Jay Hay,our SPORTSMAN cousin tell me awhile back he was hunting on a south Texas brushy pasture when he got a good look at the most unusualy huge rattlesnake. Big around as your leg! Had a huge head maybe 2 or 3 times bigger than normal sized. He said he just couldn't shoot it. It was like a prehistoric relic of long ago during the dinosaur era.
If one of them rascals bites you...better put your head between your legs and kiss your a-- good bye!
J D
- Monday, March 31, 2014 at 12:00:47 (CDT)

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Howdy David Henry,
Yeah that's about like it at Travis'"animal farm". We went to the White Creek for services yesterday. After that we went to a ranch and picked up a bunch of those big black plastic molasses tubs that were empty so he could have a place to plant stuff. Got near George West, he looked back and half of 'em had blown out. He really got upset then!!We went back picked 'em up. One was busted. He chained them down this time....and got some great BBQ at Van's BBQ Place.
J D
- Monday, March 31, 2014 at 11:41:48 (CDT)

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The goat roper that was beat up and hurt so badly in last weeks "Lonsome Dove" was probably trying to rope one of Travis' wild goats. Maybe trying to feed them and got ran over by the bunch getting to the feed bucket.
David
David H Calliham
- Wednesday, March 26, 2014 at 14:55:38 (CDT)

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Here's something you may never see even if you live 20 life times!
My cousin Jay Harris was hunting hogs or deer on his family ranch near White Creek. He noticed a flat rock that had lots of tiny bits of shells on it and around it. He was somewhat puzzled as to exactly what and why it was there.
Jay got behind a bush to conceal his self as to see a wild hog or deer to get a shot. After awhile he noticed a "Roadrunner" . The bird that makes that funny sound and zips across the landscape.
The bird had a snail in his beak. He took the snail to that flat rock. Layed it on the rock and broke the shell with its beak and ate the'meat' in side!!
People don't know just how smart some animules are!!
J D
- Monday, March 24, 2014 at 21:02:51 (CDT)

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Here's something you may never see even if you live 20 life times!
My cousin Jay Harris was hunting hogs or deer
J D
- Monday, March 24, 2014 at 20:44:45 (CDT)

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I have a big Spanish Dagger plant growing on my place. Last year it had a bloom that was almost mature...but lack of rain dried it up. This year three more smaller plants have grown up beside it. Now there are 4 beautiful blooms. Wished I could send a photo!!
Noticed they were covered with bees and wasps the other day but it didnt seem to hurt them still looking good.
JD
- Monday, March 24, 2014 at 07:48:19 (CDT)

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Cary, well none other than the old comic strips of Belle Bates. I'd like mine in an open crown (unblocked) so I can crease it with the"Gus" style profile.
Travis Calliham's wife Darla took a pretty bad fall sunday. She got out of her car with a bunch clothes and stepped in a sink hole losing her balance. Another neighbor, a wheel chair bound man broke his leg in two plACES in a work shop mishap. Then our 92 yr. neighbor Clovis ( Curly) Ray passed away. just back from his internment service.
J D
- Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at 20:15:05 (CDT)

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Have you ever seen anybody with a red cowboy hat?
Lefty
- Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at 19:02:11 (CDT)

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Thanks Cary, boy howdy..it sure dosen't take very much to get something that excites the public! Seems pretty gruesome
to me!!

Another question...I always wanted A RED cowboy hat. A good fur felt one with about a 3 1/2" brim and probably a 6" height crown. I JUST LIKE THAT COLOR!! Would that be TOOO GIRLY looking for an old fart like me?
J D
- Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at 18:32:12 (CDT)

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I think it all started with a popular computer game called "Zombie Killer." Then some enterprising ammo maker took a dum dum bullet and painted the tip green, and sold it under the brand "Zombie Load" or "Zombie Max." Computer gamers buy boxes of them and set them on top of their gam consoles because they look cool. True, the Zombie are not real, but the Zombie load is real.
Lefty
- Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at 16:19:43 (CDT)

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I have a question to ask! I noticed in Sportsman catalogs, ammo described as 'ZOMBIE KILLERS' or 'ZOMBIE LOADS' and hunting knives, hatchets, machettes and the like all something to do with killing or stopping ZOMBIE. Where is tarnation does all this stuff come from? I think there is no such critter as a ZOMBIE!! What the devil is all this about, am I missing something weird taking place??
Let's hear what you'all know about it.

Hey, check out 'Art of the Gun' and see what a fine job 'Lefty' has done presenting some of my gun drawings!!
JD
- Monday, March 17, 2014 at 19:38:22 (CDT)

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Bright and sunny today! Feels SOOO good! Big rain last night. Birds chirping, flowers poping up. An old timer said "Its a great life,,,'long as you don't weakin'
Travis my cousin took me to a residence in THREE RIVERS (TX). WAnted me to see the truck he was given, he pointed out and saud 'There it is...'. There was all sorts of vehicles there. Still didn't know which one . Was expecting a ordinary pick up, Said I didnt see it." Found out it parked out away from the rest in pear and mesquite brush.
It is a 1946 Ford flathead V8. Rusty and full of rat pills,He plans on restoring it this summer. Going to interesting !
A few years ago some ol' boys had a 1950 Chevy PU. Looked like it was found in a landfill! The boys got it going barely..about 8 miles an hour. Couldnt afford a good job restoring it.They drove it round and round the flea mart. Were proud as punch when I stepped up snapping a few photos of the old relic!! Saw a modern truck with wheels set HIGH off the ground. Nearly takes a ladder to get in!
Bet it was at least 2 1/2 times larger than the old '46 or '50s. Ford V8 of 1946 had a 90 horse power engine... later mal hombres!! JD
J D
- Tuesday, March 11, 2014 at 15:22:16 (CDT)

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Back in the COLD again...but we have had a really good rain last night! Bluebonnets blooming off HWY 37 !!!
One of my kinfolks made up a comedy skit spoofing the country singers The Judds. (hope I spelled it correct)She called her two singers "The Juggs". Layonme and Iwanta . It was a laugh riot!!!
Talk at ya later....
J D
- Sunday, March 09, 2014 at 13:49:27 (CDT)

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Lots of loud thunder & lightning last night...COLD!!!I noticed some brush blooming and a few barbenas flowers here and there. COLD all day today. Weather man says in the 70s tomorrow, I doubt that!
I remember back when mother lived in Three Rivers(TX) , it came a terrific lightning storm amd rain. Lightning struck her tall palm in jhe front yard. It ignited like a huge torch even though it was raining heavy. Fire dept and crew came. Neighbors helped with hoses. Next morning I had a terrible clean up job. Charred palm leaves and dead squirrels to remove!
JD
- Tuesday, March 04, 2014 at 16:13:10 (CST)

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Well, just about the time we thought Spring was here, another 'thunder sleet' storm came through our area. It's been snowing and sleeting all day and temperatures are in low 20s. I am sure tired of this cold weather! Have a good week, JD.
Virginia Clark
- Sunday, March 02, 2014 at 17:05:26 (CST)

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If you ever have a question about operating a PC, just ask a kid. I did and now can read email without sending an
email first. The young have grown up using the electronic marvels.
Growing up it was a simple set of dominos, Chinese checkers and 'old maid' cards for me. I was always pretty good about remembering dates certain historical events took place. I find the young have no clue about such things due to the 'public (Goverment) school' system.
Just one of them when did the Battle of the Alamo took place or World War 1. Most probably wouldn't know which came first!
Had a young man ask me if those old time gunslingers were using .357 magnum handguns!
A young graduate gal asked me just who was Roy Rogers. Us old farts don't realize that the kids don't have a clue of the things we take for granted.
Schools, I am told have a large set of pictures on the classroom wall depicting the orgin of man starting from monkeys and evolving into man or a gob of scum in the water turning into a life form or such BS. Just who made the water and 'scum' etc. etc. if it wasn't GOD ?
They teach man is no more than an animal....the problem with that BS is when the young start acting like animals..then you got a real PROBLEM !
I know the webmaster won't agree with any of this and try to belittle my beliefs.But as belivers , we are used to that..
J D
- Friday, February 21, 2014 at 09:52:11 (CST)

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Nice to hear from you! Gonna be around 85' again today. Seems like spring is in the air...almost. Bet we have another cold blast about time peaches are bloomimg. No bluebonnets again this time looks like.
Just got the computer out of the shop. Strange thing...can't get to my inbox....until I send out an email to somebody. So if You get one that just says 'Vote for Richard Nixon' or some silly thing it is just because I have to send something FIRST before can get to my inbox!And to think I used to worry about getting all those hay bales stacked in the barn before it rained ...my my times is changed!

J D
- Thursday, February 20, 2014 at 07:59:10 (CST)

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Been having some nice,warm weather lately. Is Spring finally here? Nawwwww probably not. We'll get more cold weather again before too long, or we wouldn't be in Oklahoma! ha Have a good day, JD
Mary Fern
- Monday, February 17, 2014 at 20:37:05 (CST)

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Here it is "President's Day" and NO MAIL running today. A few months ago, after a series of days off at the tiny post office here in Calliham. The little office was packed with people awaiting their mail to be 'put up'. I happened to notice a sour looking yankee who hadn't lived here long ----THE DEVIL MADE ME DO THIS. I hollered accross the crowd "Hey Bill,that case of EXTRA STRENGTH VIAGRA, you ordered just came in!!"
You ought to have seen his face when every one looked at him!! Talk about mad and SOUR! Ol' Bill managed to reply madly"I don't think I need that!"
J D
- Monday, February 17, 2014 at 06:38:06 (CST)

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For your ammusement:

Red River Valley
Night Rider's Lament
Lefty
- Sunday, February 16, 2014 at 11:51:47 (CST)

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It don't matter what you do as long as yer havin' fun!

That's all.
Lefty
- Monday, February 03, 2014 at 15:52:21 (CST)

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Lefty, DAYTON says I ought to have Mexican gals in the cartoons. SOMETHING TO REALLLY THINK 'BOUT!!
J D
- Monday, February 03, 2014 at 06:35:30 (CST)

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Lefty, it isnt very easy to tell the gals story in a single panel "gag" cartoon once a week. Dont think I have the time or energy to start doing strips again. But its something to think about.
J D
- Monday, February 03, 2014 at 06:27:11 (CST)

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Great ideas, Lefty.
JD
- Sunday, February 02, 2014 at 14:44:14 (CST)

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The "Lonesome Doves" concept has a lot of possibilities for development. I think you should keep it going, since you like to draw girls in cowboy outfits. How about developing some of the characters, giving them names and recognizable attributes: for example, maybe one girl could be a barrel racer, another is great with a rope, one of them is studying to be a large animal veterinarian, one of the girls has a great head for business and is saving her money to buy her own ranch.

Another girl might want to leave the cowgirl life and become a movie star or a pop singer. Then there are the more subtle kinds of character traits, things that have to do with character: religious, honest, loyal, devoted, loving, kind, sincere, ambitious, happy, patient, determined.

There are bad character traits as well, although you might want to be sparing if not avoid them: dishonest, disloyal, mean, rude, impatient, greedy, pessimistic, cycnical, cruel, grumpy, selfish, unforgiving.

I was going to send you an email about this stuff, but I was afraid it might get deleted by your mail tool, so I decided to post it here. This is a good place to discuss ideas for cartoons and features for the website, don't you think?
Lefty
- Sunday, February 02, 2014 at 08:52:28 (CST)

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Well JD, I'll bet old Joe McCoy is still wondering why nobody visits him no more!
Lefty
- Friday, January 31, 2014 at 16:14:54 (CST)

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Ol'Joe mcCoy tells about when his nieces and nephews visited during Christmas vacation.
They all wanted to go see a certain current movie. It had some very bad language Ol'Joe looked up the review of it in his news paper and found it had some real explicet sex scenes. Therefore Joe would not allow them to go.
This really caused an uproar. "But most of the movie is real exciting and ALL my friends are going!" The pretty teen age girl moaned. "That aint FAIR uncle Joe!!' boomed one of the nephews.
Joe replied that the next day he would have party right there at is house. The kids all showed up along with several friends. Joe was a good host and invited them all into the kitchen where he had three pans full of freshly cooked brownies. The kids were really excited and ready to 'dig in' and fill up on those brownies.
" Oh yeah, I got to tell you all they all have a little bit of dog poop cooked in with them". But you can overlook that just like the movie had dirty words and filthy sex scenes..the rest is really good. No body touched those brownies.
JD
- Friday, January 31, 2014 at 16:08:58 (CST)

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The bitter COLD is in south Texas...HERE! Susposed to warm up some tomorrow and Sunday. Stepped out on the wooded doorsteps....and nearly slid off. Had ice coating.The deer corn I feed horses in the bucket was froze stuck together hard as a rock! Water shut off so wont burst a pipe. Take care stay warm outlaws and inlaws!!
J D
- Friday, January 24, 2014 at 15:50:32 (CST)

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I'd like to mention that I have no idea how to access e-MAILS sent from mobiles.
JD
- Wednesday, January 08, 2014 at 12:17:40 (CST)

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I would like to mention a young beautiful lady has been like an angel encourging, praying scrubbing my filthy place and bringing me freshly cooked meals. All on her own. A wonderful Godly person named Christine. She has just been evicted from the place here in Calliham. So pray for her please.
J D
- Wednesday, January 08, 2014 at 07:09:59 (CST)

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RODNEY-So glad to hear frpm you. I will always regret being so backward and timid as a youth and not ever getting to know your dad. We always held your parents in high regard.
Once he came to see us and was standing by the field gate as I was on horse rounding up the cattle to move into the river pasture. I rode right by him waiting for him to speak first I guess. Will always regret not striking up a conversation that day. Take care Rodney. JD
JD
- Wednesday, January 08, 2014 at 06:58:33 (CST)

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Thanks every one. Its been a terrific struggle but with warmer weather I could get back my old cranky self,
J D
- Tuesday, January 07, 2014 at 16:26:23 (CST)

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Dear Johnny Dean - so sorry to hear that you have been feeling so badly and having to resort to a hospital stay to get back on your feet. My own experience with only 3 nights in the hospital convinces me that we should both endeavor to stay well if at all possible. A person needs a recovery period from just the hospital stay. We pray you can regain your health so you can stay safely at home. Thanks to Travis and his family for their caregiving. Best regards for a healthier new year.
Rodney Crumrine
- Sunday, January 05, 2014 at 22:26:01 (CST)

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Be sure and take care of yourself. That congestive heart failure is nothing to fool around with. It's dangerous. Prayers are headed upward for you.

Virginia Clark
- Sunday, January 05, 2014 at 17:23:38 (CST)

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I'm sorry you've been ill, JD. My husband Steve has had strep throat all week, then I got bronchitis and some kind of flu-like respiratory infection. SO, we've not had a Happy New Year, yet. Best wishes for your speedy recovery, cousin.
Virginia Clark
- Sunday, January 05, 2014 at 17:21:54 (CST)

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I am home for the moment. It is congestive heart failure thats got me down and terrible. Got out in bright sunshine some this evening for about the first time today ...felt so GOOD! But a COLD spell is on the way. Got an appointment for a heart doc monday. Folks have been very helpful. I love the LORD and scared but hope HE takes me in!!!
J D
- Saturday, January 04, 2014 at 14:44:08 (CST)

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JD has been staying with Travis Calliham the last couple of days. He is not feeling very well right now, but Travis and family are looking after him.
Lefty
- Tuesday, December 31, 2013 at 14:22:30 (CST)

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GOSH J.D. Sorry to hear your recovery is going slowly.
I wish I were close enough and able to help you out in some
way. Only help I can give now is to say a little prayer for you. We have never met but I feel we are long distance friends.
Dayton
- Saturday, December 28, 2013 at 22:21:49 (CST)

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Well, Cary my recovery is not going very well. Can't get warm, keep having chills. Another cold front in few days looks like...
J D
- Saturday, December 28, 2013 at 17:37:49 (CST)

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GOSH! Don't want to forget all the great canned goods Jason Smith brought!!
J D
- Saturday, December 28, 2013 at 05:58:26 (CST)

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Travis Calliham rushed me the ER in Jourdanton with the heart over speeding. An ambulance roared me to San Antonio. After 5 days and shock treatment Travis came got me late at night and brought me home. Seems no time passed I was stricken by horrible pinched nerve in the right hip. Richard Warren a wheelchair bound neighbor and grandson rushed me back to ER in Jourdanton. After extensive exams and a heavy shot. They hauled me home. THEN in no time a stomach virus from the the crowded ER caused me no control over bowels. Raining three days here and clothes are still hanging trying to dry. Travis and Randy Neinhoffer brought me food and medicines and mail....no presents? Jay Harris is using his camper here and gave me a can of RAVOLIA....
J D
- Friday, December 27, 2013 at 17:51:03 (CST)

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You boiled it down a little too much, JD. Who hauled you to the ER? Why not name those good friends and neighbors who helped you out. Tell us something about them. How is your recovery going?
Lefty
- Friday, December 27, 2013 at 15:55:37 (CST)

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Boiling the whole thing down goes like this: Got chilled, my heart rate speeded up was hauled to the ER then transfered to the METHODISt in SA. Had to have electrical shock to slow down heart. Was there 5 days. Two days later suffered pinched nerve in hip so severe had to go back to the ER in Jourdanton.,examined and given a pain shot. Back home a short while then found out I had caught a stomach virus from the busy ER with all the sick people there. No control over bowels at all. Managed to put out three loads of laundry trying to keep up. Still have chills and weak. Good friends and neighbors have really been great help...
J D
- Thursday, December 26, 2013 at 17:14:57 (CST)

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I know what you mean, Dayton. I can hardly believe it myself. It's true, we are buds off different branches of the same tree. JD is my second cousin. His mother was my grandmother's baby sister.
Lefty
- Thursday, December 26, 2013 at 14:18:03 (CST)

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J.D. Sorry to hear you were in the hospital. Hope you are doing better. It is hard to believe that Lefty didn't know about it. I thought you two were KinFolk.
Dayton
- Wednesday, December 25, 2013 at 10:53:11 (CST)

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Cary,
Got chilled when sleeping bag would not zip up the last cold spell, plus eating too much Mexican food I guess clogging my arteries. . Heart Needed shock treatment to reduce heart rate. Feel really sore now from being on back 5 days. Us old farts are falling apart..
J D
- Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at 12:51:46 (CST)

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Five days! Why were you in the hospital?
Lefty
- Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at 12:11:42 (CST)

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I am just back from 5 days on my back at the Metodist hospital in San Antonio. wasnt much fun but the docs and nurses were 'top of the line.' Food was great...maybe too much of it tho.
No Christmas shopping for me...with all this goings on.
Heavy fog here this morning CAREFUL OUT THERE!!!
J D
- Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at 07:59:07 (CST)

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Hi Fay! The cold has and is hard on my old bones too. Had to buy an $80 elect.space heater. Cold is bad on a person with a heart cond. like me since the triple/bypass. Spent one night sleeping at Travis' place. Later...
J D
- Tuesday, December 10, 2013 at 07:28:06 (CST)

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I hope everyone is staying safe and warm. We are 'sleeted in', here North of Dallas/Fort Worth, but at least we haven't lost power. It's melting somewhat today, but supposed to freeze up again tonight.
My sister Fern in Oklahoma has been without power for 3 days or so. Lots of ice and snow up there. Praying for her and everyone's safety until the big thaw comes.
Virginia Clark
- Sunday, December 08, 2013 at 14:39:22 (CST)

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Well, outlaws and inlaws, do you ever secretly dream of wandering into the gosh dreadful places like in the old Burt Reynold's movie 'DELIVERANCE'? Well for sure, I did yesterday!
You drive through George West going east. Get on an old two lane Farm/Market road. Come to a long old timey iron and wood bridge crossing the Nueces river. River is BIG and full now due to recent rains.
You enter the 'used to be' townsite of MIKESKA. Most is grown up in tall brush and trees. One old long deserted store building on a corner shows what once was the main business place of a community long ago.
I saw a double wide mobile home fixed up quite well but had about 10 dogs of mostly huge sizes laying around guarding the place. Maybe 15 various kinds of trucks, peices of trucks. Bulldozers, trailers and all kinds of steel threwn about. Grounds littered with beer cans etc.etc.
Every thing about this scene reminds of Hank jr.s "A Country Boy Can Survive".
J D
- Thursday, November 28, 2013 at 07:33:57 (CST)

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Wishing every one the very best and safe Thanksgiving Day!!
I have a couple of firearms I'd like to sell to raise some money to help my friend get her car worked on. I have an H & R 20ga. with shell holder on the stock and a single-action .22 revolver with white grips.(It is an import that looks exactly like the Colt Scout) Got to have $120 for the pair.
J D
- Tuesday, November 26, 2013 at 05:04:43 (CST)

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Below, I meant the motorhome was 'at least 50 ft. long.'
Funny thing after the performances of the Glass family, we met in the kitchen/dinning room of the church for dinner. I was seated next to the young man that sung and preached.
There was quite a bit of noise and talking by the several dozen people there. In my attempt at making conversation with the young man I replied " I think ELVIS was the best all time gospel singer I had ever heard."
Due to the noise, the young man thought I had said he was the best all time gospel singer and blushed thanking me very much. He was good alright but....
J D
- Thursday, November 21, 2013 at 06:49:19 (CST)

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Grand ol'time at the White Creek church sunday! The Glass family arrived in the BIGGEST motorhome I have ever seen. Had to have been near 50 long!
They are a family of gospel singers and musicians. The family consists of a husband and wife with two sons and young daughter.
The very pretty daughter started off playing the violin with the most beautiful rendition of 'Amazing Grace'. She also played mandolin and guitar backing up as others sang and played. Also sang some songs she wrote herself.
The whole family did a wonderful gospel program. One of the young men preached on the subject of 'depression' and how to overcome it. It was a great blessing to all present!
J D
- Wednesday, November 20, 2013 at 08:55:35 (CST)

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Hey Juanita, I think you have the first two backwards! When I was growing up every one always said 'winders' for windows and 'balona' for balogna.
J D
- Monday, November 18, 2013 at 16:41:03 (CST)

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Any where but south Texas, 'bologna' is spelled 'bolona'...
Any where but south Texas,' windows 'is spelled 'winders'.
Any where but south Texas, 'country music' is spelled 'Bob Wills'.
Any where but south Texas 'beer' is spelled 'Lone Star'.
Later, U'all
Juanita
- Monday, November 18, 2013 at 11:31:49 (CST)

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The farmer was eating his noon day lunch in the barn. A small chunk of balona fell out of his sandwich and landed on the shovel handle.
A fly quickly landed on it and ate it. But the fly could not take off being too heavy. The fly fell off the shovel and spattered on the floor.
MORAL: Don't fly off the handle if you are full of balona...
J D
- Monday, November 18, 2013 at 08:26:00 (CST)

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Think I dated the photo of Sheriff Huff incorrect. Should have been in the early '70s instead the '50s.
I once had" Mr. Sam's" revolver here to do a pen and ink drawing from it for presentation in the Cactus Museum in George West. It was a Colt Python with 4 inch barrel. If only it could have talked...!
J D
- Monday, November 04, 2013 at 14:10:46 (CST)

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Think I have a typing error below regarding Sheriff Huff and the two killers, I believe this took place in the early '70s instead of the '50s.
I once was hired to make a pen & ink drawing of Mr. Sam's revolver. I had it here at home to draw from. It was a Colt Python with a 4 inch barrel. Lots of history there...if it could only have talked.

J D
- Monday, November 04, 2013 at 13:54:52 (CST)

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Went by the FARMER'S CO-OP to get some medicine for a hoss. Saw they had a book display with only one book left. It is titled LIVE OAK COUNTY by Richard and Janis Hudson.
I could not afford it ..BUT bought it anyway! This has hundreds of photos of the early days in this county. Great ones taken in 1913 as was the 'birth' of Three Rivers. All about George West, Simmons and the people of different eras. Ranch and farm life of the times. This is a 'gold mine' of entertainment for south Texas history buffs!!
Where else are you gonna see horse races on Thornton street in down town Three Rivers in 1913, a shot from inside the Purple Sage nightclub in the 40s, Sheriff Sam Huff transporting two killers to jail early 50s and a teen aged Daylon Hicks posing for a TV promo. picture shoot and Pat Nance climbing aboard a fighter plane? GREAT BOOK!
J D
- Thursday, October 31, 2013 at 17:51:49 (CDT)

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Another exciting week in the "Oil Patch". Went by the Simmons'/Nueces bridge on way to White Creek church yesterday. River still very high.
I enjoy the church services there. Shame such small number of folks attend rural churches these days. Many have closed their doors for lack of support.
Believe it or not, the records for attendance of Calliham church in the 1940s show sunday school had up to 100 kids attending! In those days farm families believed that the more kids they had...the more cotton pickers to bring in the money. There were two cotton gins running in Calliham and most other little burgs in south Texas.
Thank God I missed out on the delight of cotton pickin'! Made my bones hurt just to watch some gal stay stooped over dragging a heavy cotton sack the entire length of a quarter mile long row in the blazing heat of summer.
But I did my share of hay hauling and corn pulling and post hole digging. I enjoy remember being hot,covered with dust and itchy hay sticking to my body...then jumping in the cool Frio river! Can't even do that any more! Thanks you ladies for writing comments on this CORRAL, great to hear from ya!!!
J D
- Monday, October 28, 2013 at 06:19:33 (CDT)

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That is a terrible story about the accident at Tips Park!!! I have been away since my Granny Sparks died in 1990. She was living in Three Rivers at the time. She moved there from,Old Calliham because of Choke Canyon developement. Guess I would be really amazed by the traffic on HWay 72. Sad!!!
Donna Hamilton
- Sunday, October 27, 2013 at 14:33:35 (CDT)

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JD, we've been having a bit of rain and cooler temperatures up here in North Texas. Things are still green in October. That seldom happens around here. It's usually brown and dry by now. We still need more rain, though. The stock tanks are real low. Have a good week.
Virginia Clark
- Sunday, October 27, 2013 at 12:16:47 (CDT)

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Big writeup in this Nov.issue of TEXAS MONTHLY on the oil boom here in south Texas. Pictures taken in 3 Rivers and various other nearby places. Hwy 72 has become the 'tunnel of death'due to the oil field trucks roaring through both ways at most all times.
A few days ago an 88 year old timer drove out of Tip's Park in 3 Rivers right into the thick traffic. A girl in a high rise pickup run over the engine/front of his car. She spun out of control hit an old couple from Calliham. Badly damaged all vehicles. Law came, 88 year old tried to fight the police chief. Seems no one was badly hurt this time.
Elderly man will most likely not be 'on the road again...'
J D
- Friday, October 25, 2013 at 09:50:34 (CDT)

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Nueces river was up to the bottom of old iron bridge sunday and flooded the area between 3 Rivers and Simmons known as Kitty Flats. Flooded Tips park in 3 Rivers.. All due to HEAVY RAIN in Cotulla,
J D
- Thursday, October 24, 2013 at 08:03:10 (CDT)

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Writing these comments is like yelling down a rain barrel, all I get is myself echoing back.
Thought at least someone would have an account of seeing a 'feral person' as I told about in a comment below. OR any other subject.
J D
- Tuesday, October 22, 2013 at 08:41:06 (CDT)

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Nueces river on a big rise finally! Water up even with the bottom of the old iron bridge!(At Simmons) Beautiful cool weather. Bill and Debra Gazaway visited me this evening after church.
Paul White of Simmons has been taking kemo treatments for throat cancer. They had to remove 7 good teeth to get to the cancer area. Now they have to shave his head. Please include him in your prayers...
J D
- Sunday, October 20, 2013 at 22:10:06 (CDT)

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OOh thank you, my sweet man !!
Juanita
- Tuesday, October 15, 2013 at 14:44:01 (CDT)

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Juanita, you should try e-bay. You can buy or sell almost anything there.

Got www.ebay.com and register.

Lefty
- Tuesday, October 15, 2013 at 09:16:51 (CDT)

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I guess them cast iron pop guns might make good fishing weights. Probably 'collectors' somewhere that look for that sort of thing...Have a muy bien Columbus day, Juanita!
J D
- Monday, October 14, 2013 at 13:22:37 (CDT)

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Hey, anyone want to buy some OLD cast iron cap guns from the 1920s-30s ?
Juanita
- Saturday, October 12, 2013 at 13:49:35 (CDT)

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Down into the '50s here at night, then low 90s at daytime. Had some small rains. I have thousands of yellow blooms on a type desert plant and makes my allergies go crazy! Sneezing, runny nose and blurred vision terrible!
I thought this might be a time to mention a segment of people that are often overlooked or forgotten. The examples I know were from the extremely rural areas. Often living in the 'woods'most of the time.
Sometime in the 1960s I was driving from a tiny town on a sandy dirt road, when a man of about 55 waves me down. A first glance he seems normal. I stop, he says he wants to show me something. I figure its a dead rattlesnake or some usual thing.
He pulls out a carved 'y' shaped piece of pine board. He has colorful crayon marks on it and the words" NIGER SHOOTER STOCK" printed in pencil. He was so proud of his handiwork, just had to show someone.
Handiwork that equals something a 6 year old little boy might do. I am sort of baffled but go along and brag on it. Then he comes up with an old shoe box with an assortment of girly pictures he had cut out of some magazines. Nothing much compared to today's online filth.
Anyhow most pictures he had 'labeled' with the commonly used names with a big arrow drawn pointing to that body part. I am thinking what kind of life has this man lived the last 55 or so years with the mind somewhat of a child? Never able to hold any job or raise a family. How did he get this way? What happens to this kind of person as time goes by?
Seems like there was quite a number of this kind living mostly in the woods back at that time. Just thought I'd bring up this sad subject and ask that you might add them in your prayers each day.
J D
- Wednesday, October 09, 2013 at 11:54:54 (CDT)

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From Art of the gun, here is JD's rendering of the Rossi Ranch Hand.
The Web Master
- Sunday, October 06, 2013 at 13:17:23 (CDT)

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The fire dept. fund raiser was a success. I had donated a vintage Daisy model 25 bb rifle and a small brass firecracker cannon. They brought $200 to the fund!
A lady down the road donated a wreath made from barbwire with a few old items attached...it brought $600!
Funny thing that evening a friend just back from New Mexico, had stopped by a yard sale and bought another Daisy bb gun and gave it to me! A fancy Red Ryder with a metal medallion on the stock...all for $1.00 ! Shoots just fine..
J D
- Tuesday, October 01, 2013 at 06:08:26 (CDT)

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The ANNUAL CALLIHAM FIRE DEPT. BBQ and AUCTION is SEPT. 28th !!!! This is a fund raiser for the fire dept. So let's enjoy great BBQ with all the trimming. Visit old friends and make new ones!
Great AUCTION of donated items, lots of 'comedy'relief and laffs!! Get there early to find a good spot to eat and watch the auction. GONNA BE A DANDY THIS TIME!!!
J D
- Tuesday, September 24, 2013 at 11:04:53 (CDT)

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Busy week! Lots of small rains and much cooler temps! A cousin I hadn't seen in 36 years visited. He is from my dad's side of family.
Attended the WHITE CREEK church Sunday(yesterday now). It happened to be a sort of Hudson family reunion. Place was packed! A couple of their young guys played guitars and sung very well. Then DAYLON HICKS played and sung a fine song in great voice. He is in his 80s I think. Was billed as AMERICA'S YOUNGEST SINGING COWBOY back in 1949. He was maybe 12 back then. Had an interesting career. Had his own radio show at one time. Red River Dave got him started in the music business.
David Hudson tells me one of his family (Thelma) married Charlie Calliham. Both have passed away now. Anyhow that is the link to my folks being Calliham on mother's side. There was a ton of good food there after the service and lots of good visiting. Looks like springtime here with all the little rains and cooler weather!

J D
- Monday, September 23, 2013 at 00:42:44 (CDT)

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On the subject below; being a HOARDER.
Was joking I am no where near being a REAL HOARDER.
The last few years I have seen some very disturbing examples of such. Without names. One lady had brand new big home built and moved in. In no time it looked like a tornado at Wal*Mart had struck. Narrow trails to go from room to room. Newspapers,dead pot plants, bottles, jars, catalogs, clothes piled head high. no room to eat at table, bowls and plates on floor. Even her car was packed with papers etc.etc.
Another case in Three Rivers. Lady had old jars, bottles covering all spaces except tiny narrow trail from room to room. Old calendars covered the walls and Christmas decorations up all year. Would be a mess being caught in the dark there...every step bottles and jars knocked around and impossible to clean a den like that!
What's worse is 'cat lovers' keeping dozens of cats around with free rein of the house....the STENCH can make a buzzard throw up as he flies over!!
J D
- Wednesday, September 18, 2013 at 07:38:22 (CDT)

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We were blessed with a few rain showers so far out of the storm. Been nice and cooler!!
Tomorrow I am to meet a cousin I have not seen since '77! Going to meet at the cemetery here in Calliham. He is from Dad's side of the family....not many of that generation still kicking. Going to be a shock to him seeing the NEW Calliham for the first time. Hope he gets through the oil/boon trucks etc.etc. alright.
He tells me his brother has become a 'hoarder'and has his home packed to the celling with junk! That is a strange malady seems to me. Guess it depends on just what kind of 'junk' you are sticking away. I have about 35 old BB guns here and there to tinker with and old boots and hats in every corner. Had a huge selection of FRONTIER TIMES and TRUE WEST mags stuck away but sold most of them.
Gotta go....jd
J D
- Tuesday, September 17, 2013 at 10:24:54 (CDT)

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Howdy FERN ! Could be so close to the fall season that the trees are losing their leaves up yonder in your neck 'o the woods plus the hot dry conditions.
Seems to be no end to the diverse things you can find online! Just got through watching videos of people digging up relics in the bottom of old privies (outdoor toilets). Seems the ideal place for locating ancient collectible bottles. Sometings old rusty guns are found.
I have been pretty lucky finding old relic guns in sites where fires have wiped out homes long ago. I made stocks and grips to replace the ones burned off. Anyhow they make interesting wall or den displays. ...and I never had to dig in an old toilet to find them!
Awhile back I uncovered some Cary Semar cartoons from the early '50s! They were in a battered tin suitcase! I remember when he drew them. Dad had made a 'tent' out of old towsacks and rigged it up on the Frio River for us to kids to camp in during one of those endless summers from school. We had a little folding card table to draw and eat on. I remember how thrilling it was to see the moon come up and shine its silvery glow on the old river at night.
In the dark you could hear a lonesome coyote way off howling, a deer rustling around in the nearby trees, a mother cow calling a stray calf, the trilling sound of a 'coon, the sucking of mud by a 'mudcat (fish)in the drifts. He was about 9 and me 11. Was SEVERAL days ago...
I never see a soul near the old Simmons church as I go and come from the White Creek church. Very sad if it has shut its doors on having services. Still looks well kept. Lots of history there!

J D
- Monday, September 09, 2013 at 14:37:48 (CDT)

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JD, we are having a drought and 100 degree weather here in OK too. Trees are losing leaves like crazy. And those that don't lose their leaves turn brown. Sad. Sure need some rain. We are doing good. Got to have our 3 granddaughters over for lunch today........that's a blessing.
Mary Fern
- Sunday, September 08, 2013 at 21:02:16 (CDT)

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Same old drought and 100+ temps. Yesterday my old fan overheated started scorching and kicked the bucket. Must have used it over 10 years.
No telling how many hours these old fan serve mankind until they croak. I remember going off on a trip and forgetting to turn off the old fan. Was the first thing I heard when I was unlocking the door coming home. Now its headed for the landfill. Got to head for WALMART to a new replacement cooler. I'll probably be buried with the next fan. If I go to HELL hope there is a plug in place!
My niece sent me a huge assortment of new DUCK DYNASTY DVDs. Had no idea what that was about. Looks like a bunch of hairy hippies to me.
Think most of the old hippies grew up and now run the government! I better not go there and offend somebody.
Time for me to whip up a big egg taco with plenty PACE PICANTE salsa . Sure miss JENINE RUSSELL's great home grown salsa.....
J D
- Saturday, September 07, 2013 at 07:21:05 (CDT)

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Dayton there are dozens of Rossi Ranch Hand, Rossi lever-action rifles, Rossi Firearms etc.etc. websites. Just type in the search blank and click on like finding anything else.
J D
- Sunday, September 01, 2013 at 14:58:58 (CDT)

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SHUCKS J.D. I CAN'T FIND ROSSI RANCH HAND
DAYTON
- Sunday, September 01, 2013 at 14:43:46 (CDT)

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Lefty says: Give a man a fish, and you have fed him for a day. Give a man a gun, and you have fed him for a lifetime!
Lefty
- Thursday, August 29, 2013 at 19:30:14 (CDT)

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Well, Lefty I surely hope you will come to believe HIM and His word. Our time is fleeting fast!
Ran over to TRACTOR SUPPLY in BEEVILLE yesterday with cousin Travis. They have BLUE MOUNTAIN jeans for $10 @ pair! Really nice fitting, good lookin'. Hope after the first wash they still fit and look good.
The other day here one of the REDNECK ol' time gun traders drove up. Great visit, talked of days past, horses, cows, women and all them wonderful things that make livin' exciting.
Found out he wanted my antique rifle really bad. So after we had filled up on chopped BBQ at the CALLIHAM store kitchen...we got down to TRADE TALK!!
Hope someone out there remembers the 1950s TV western "WANTED, DEAD OR ALIVE" with Steve McQueen as the bounty hunter Josh Randall. Remembers the unusual 'sawed off' lever action rifle he used as a pistol. I traded for a new one just like it. If you care to, you can click on to ROSSI RANCH HAND and see videos, photos of said weapon.
Had 1 1/2 inches rain a couple days ago. Thank you , Jesus!!
J D
- Thursday, August 29, 2013 at 17:12:25 (CDT)

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Jesus said: But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Lefty
- Monday, August 26, 2013 at 17:55:04 (CDT)

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There is a certain beauty of nature even in the worst of droughty times, especially early morning or very late evenings. I love the moonlight hours when it is cooling down. It is like the promise of this life when one loves the Lord. When our 'labors', our trials & tribulations are done...what a wonderful reward we'll receive!
In fact our earthly minds can't even comprehend the wonderous blessings our Lord has for us!

Cousin Travis had a birthday yesterday. He is 65. His brother David from the Victoria area, along with a pal dropped by in surprise visit.
Travis was quick to give us a sample of his homemade 'prickly-pear wine'. Not to hurt his feelings...but I think it was the WORST GOSH AWFUL tasting thing I ever encountered in all my born days! That stuff will ruin your mind and rot your gizzard!
JD
- Monday, August 26, 2013 at 12:11:29 (CDT)

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Thanks to some of you out there I believe did pray for CHRISTINE, my friend.
Things have greatly improved with her. She used my computer yesterday for some online shopping and was in very good spirits. I am very thankful of that. This gal deserves all the happiness there is in this wacky ol' world!!
J D
- Friday, August 23, 2013 at 18:17:23 (CDT)

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Can't find no new update this week. Ol'lazy JD must have messing with them hairy legged gringo church gals to much and forgot cartoon drawing! U'all ought to fire his @$$.
JUANITA
- Wednesday, August 21, 2013 at 12:05:30 (CDT)

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Hi Fay! The Simmons church has to be mighty old, aunt Unabelle (Smith)Calliham says she used to walk over there by herself as a little girl to attend services. She is in her 90s now.
The way the highway and roads have been re-routed, land has changed ownership and old homes torn down or moved....that ancient church isthat's left of 'Simmons'.
J D
- Monday, August 12, 2013 at 17:24:02 (CDT)

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JD, I remember going to Sunday and revivals at the old Simmons Non-denomination Church when we were kids. I loved the dinners on the ground and Vacation Bible School. It was a small, intimate congregation, but very friendly.
My mother and her sisters used to attend White Creek church. I remember her talking about it sometimes.
Good memories.
Virginia Fay Clark
- Sunday, August 11, 2013 at 17:31:30 (CDT)

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I have a favor to ask all who may read this. I have a wonderful friend named CHRISTINE. She is the most beautiful person you could ever meet. Very smart and a fine Christian.
For several months now her family problems are getting her down with stress. I am very concerned for her. I can tell you true the problems are NOT HER FAULT.
Please say some deeply felt prayers for this wonderful beautiful person. I am asking you please. Let her know the sunshine of God's healing grace once again. jd
J D
- Friday, August 09, 2013 at 21:29:58 (CDT)

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HAY U'ALL...SCHROOL on WAAAY DOWN...LEFTY has a great photo of the SIMMONS Non-Denomanation church! I remember the times I galloped by there when service was going on, on my ride to Uncle Dave's place..
J D
- Tuesday, August 06, 2013 at 20:11:47 (CDT)

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I no find google on the Simmons map either!?!
Juanita
- Tuesday, August 06, 2013 at 20:01:45 (CDT)

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I am sure FERN, FAY or Pat would tell you where SIMMONS is.
...or click on to TexasEscapes.com ghost towns by county.(Live Oak) Good photos and writeup.
I can show you where the Callihams lived and Smith place was.
J D
- Tuesday, August 06, 2013 at 07:31:47 (CDT)

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Where in heck is Simmons? I can't find it in Google maps.
Lefty
- Monday, August 05, 2013 at 22:38:46 (CDT)

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I did things a little different sunday, instead of attending Calliham church as always, I went to White Creek church. This is located maybe 8 miles south of Simmons on a farm/market road.
Well kept old church, has an impressive ancient large mesquite tree in front.
Just in time for adult sunday school taught by a J D Babin. Who also has a little cowboy hand puppet that he uses in comedy acts at nursing home and such. Saw the act when he came to Calliham church. Pretty good show!
Met some other folks but a good many were gone on vacations I was told. Think there were about 14 attending that day.
In sunday school the subject of Bibical giants briefly come up. I have done quite a study on giants and would love to get the chance of doing a lecture on that subject. I did so a few years ago...but learned lots more since.
Nice service there at White Creek and we were off to Sweeny Switch to a famous red, white and blue painted tin café for a great dinner of fried chicken, gravy smashed 'taters etc.etc. and ice cream dessert!
Hey, I just might return...
J D
- Monday, August 05, 2013 at 17:20:47 (CDT)

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I used up the Neatsfoot oil I had and finished with olive oil. Best to let old saddles bake in the sun while drying so the oils will really soak in the old tired dry leather and wont discolor your jeans so bad.
J D
- Saturday, August 03, 2013 at 14:04:49 (CDT)

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Yesterday was 'grease the leather' day. Finally got to my old saddle with NEATSFOOT OIL to preserve the old dry leather.
Made me remember waaay back living on the old ranch by myself. I drug a couple saddles and bridles onto the porch, poured a large amount of high priced oil into a big plastic bowl ready to get after the greasing job....phone rung. Spent quite awhile answering it. Went back outside to get busy....big bowl of Neatsfoot oil GONE! (Stuff is really costly)Looked all around, finally saw the old yellow hound was licking its lips with the empty big bowl nearby!
I sincerely hope his bowels were well lubricated until his dying day!
Now I use Olive oil which is lots better and soaks in leaving a cleaner surface to the leather. I make sure there isn't a hungry hound in sight!
On boots, I like to rub the inside of banana peelings on the leather. Is cheap and good for the leather.
J D
- Saturday, August 03, 2013 at 11:23:21 (CDT)

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Was a fine 2 inch rain last week!
Men came by and we discussed their making a Ghost Town movie. Can't remember names but if you read this, I have several 'old west'movie prop guns that are suitable for movie purposes and some western hats for costumes. One of my friends near Devine has a western type town on his property made for film shooting.
J D
- Wednesday, July 31, 2013 at 15:01:19 (CDT)

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I went up to Trinity on Saturday to see Mom. While I was gone there was a big thunderstorm and when I got back, the power was off. Two transformers on our street were burned out, probably by lightning strikes. It took four hours before they got the power back on. Rough living, no AC, no internet.
Lefty
- Monday, July 29, 2013 at 17:36:59 (CDT)

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Wrote the poem below as a storm was developing. Messed up trying to hurry before had to unhook computer. Soon as I pulled the plugs...lightning struck very close to the house.
Came a very good RAIN! Thank you Lord!!
J D
- Saturday, July 27, 2013 at 20:46:21 (CDT)

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Thundering all around tonight.....but looks poor chance of getting even a drop.
Like ol'Joe McCoy, I feel a song coming on....
"Some day, some day...I will be free,
And I won't have those oil field people,
crowding all 'round me!

Life gets mighty stale and old,
When your living' in a 'goldfish bowl'.

Some day, some day I'll be free,
and ride the range on a good horse again.
With no one belittling me.
They all wear short pants, big 'tennis shoes',
and stuff like that.
Seems no body ever heard of a big cowboy hat!
Ain't the kind of folks I was raised up with,
Don't you see? Some day I'll be happy to be free!
J D
- Saturday, July 27, 2013 at 19:06:59 (CDT)

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saw Joe McCoy the other day...the ol'boy had a terrible black eye and his inch thick bi-focals were taped up with about a mile of electrical tape.
Of course I had to venture why/how he got that way.(He's the 'lonely Heart' several comments below was hunting a lady friend)
Without minute detail I'll sum it up. Him and "Hilda" were finaly getting cozy out in the cool night air under the fig tree.
Ol' Joe felt a love song coming on and told Hilda he would sing his favorite tender ELVIS love ballad just for her. So he snuggled up an inch from her ear...and to the top of his lungs belted out..."YOU AIN'T NOTHIN'BUT A HOUND DOG....etc.etc..."
Scared the tar outa Hilda..made her REALLLY MAD! She slugged him in the left eye...broke them inch thick bi-focals in three pieces! Grabbed the big pot of Chilli con carne hopped in the ol' Ford, lite a shuck back to Simmons City, Texas....romance dead as a'doornail' now for Joe!
Ladies, ol'Joe is still AVAILABLE, Now's your CHANCE!!!
J D
- Thursday, July 25, 2013 at 13:39:42 (CDT)

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The countryside has REALLY greened up since last weeks rains! Hope the trend keeps up! Another fella and I left here early this morning for the FLEA MARKET in front of the Atascosa Livestock Auction between Jourdanton and Pleasantion (Tx.)
Friday would have been the biggest day..but we had to go today (Saturday). Was fun looking at all the stuff and visiting folks we knew. Saw lots of saddles I would have liked to own! An "artist" had a display of old hand saws he had painted rural scenes on each. Another man had cartons of .22 cal ammo for $15 each and a 'Brick' 500 rnds. for $65.
There was a table of Wilson HONEY for sale. $12 a quart.
Being there a couple hours, the sun was really bringing out the sweat and was humid to beat the band!
I hope to return Friday for more choice of goodies. We ate in Tilden at the NEW drive thru Chuck Wagon barn. Great pizza there!!
Just a few days before that, there was three bad smash up wrecks due to the oil boon traffic. The week before, a prisoner walked out of the Federal pen and U S Marshals were combing the woods for him. Have a great week end...
J D
- Saturday, July 20, 2013 at 21:42:31 (CDT)

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Unsettled weather the last couple days. Could have a
thunderstorm later tonight.
I remember back in the late 70s, living on the old Snoga ranch west of the original Calliham townsite. Was drawing some cartoons on the kitchen table, looked out the big west window, saw it looked unsettled. Walked outside for better look. Saw a TORNADO hanging down headed my way!
Was stunned for a moment...then grabbed my old rifles and pistols and this and that quickly filled the tiny Datson PU bed ! So I got ready to get the blazes out of here! Took one last look...the TORNADO was gone! That was scarey!
Later on a sudden change in the weather, overcast thick clouds brought THOUSANDS of ticks marching up the walls of that old ranch house! Mr. Crawford and I were sitting on the front porch chewing nasty old tobacco when we noticed the mass tick migration. Couldn't barely believe our eyes!! They had never bothered me living there before.
Crawford quickly sprayed diseal and livestock spray on the walls and we had to spend the night in 3 Rivers while the house was fumigated!
What scared me was now and then a big ugly VINEGAROON would suddenly crawl out of the wall. BAD NEWS them ol' boys!
Was a big old hay barn about a century old nearby and part inside had a board floor. As you walked across it rattlesnakes would rattle from under the floor.
Mice were terrible there! We started to saddle up the horses for a little cow work. I had stuck my old VELA high on a folding ladder. BUT the mice found it and ate all the saddle leather strings. This caused the stirrups, rope and saddlebags to fall off when I went to put on horse! So we had to spend time repairing the dang saddle before we could go after the herd. I sure miss the old ranch with its 2 1/2 miles of Frio river boundry. Good friends...great times!!
J D
- Monday, July 15, 2013 at 15:52:16 (CDT)

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I have a gripe this week! It's about LAWYERS. Especially ones from families we've known "all our lives" and think they may know something about us and appreciate the business. WHAT A JOKE!!
If your business isn't connected to some huge oil/gas/big ranching operation/million dollar a day production etc.etc, then your papers are stuck away, buried away in tons of papers in a drawer someplace as the months, years go by without ever hearing a word of them.
Mine is a SIMPLE THING....just sign my 'will form'! Been waiting since MAY!! Neighbors down the road have waited over TWO YEARS for divorce papers! Other friends have waited 5 or 6 years on a small land deal(another local lawyer).
Not fair at all to be done this way...I get MADDER as time drags by!!!
J D
- Saturday, July 13, 2013 at 21:07:42 (CDT)

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I have a gripe this week! It's about LAWYERS. Especially ones from families we've known "all our lives" and think they may know something about us and appreciate the business. WHAT A JOKE!!
If your business isn't connected to some huge oil/gas/big ranching operation/million dollar a day production etc.etc, then your papers are stuck away, buried away in tons of papers in a drawer someplace as the months, years go by without ever hearing a word of them.
Mine is a SIMPLE THING....just sign my 'will form'! Been waiting since MAY!! Neighbors down the road have waited over TWO YEARS for divorce papers! Other friends have waited 5 or 6 years on a small land deal(another local lawyer).
Not fair at all to be done this way...I get MADDER as time drags by!!!
J D
- Saturday, July 13, 2013 at 21:05:45 (CDT)

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I have a gripe this week! It's about LAWYERS. Especially ones from families we've known "all our lives" and think they may know something about us and appreciate the business. WHAT A JOKE!!
If your business isn't connected to some huge oil/gas/big ranching operation/million dollar a day production etc.etc, then your papers are stuck away, buried away in tons of papers in a drawer someplace as the months, years go by without ever hearing a word of them.
Mine is a SIMPLE THING....just sign my 'will form'! Been waiting since MAY!! Neighbors down the road have waited over TWO YEARS for divorce papers! Other friends have waited 5 or 6 years on a small land deal(another local lawyer).
Not fair at all to be done this way...I get MADDER as time drags by!!!
J D
- Saturday, July 13, 2013 at 20:57:19 (CDT)

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Another HOT ol' day in oil patch town...
Men stopped by asking all about filming a ghost town movie. They expected to find an old abandoned town just sitting there minus the people. The old townsites I know aren't like that....not much left to film. People salvaged the lumber, tin, fence wire and posts LONG long ago.
Lots of hay barns were made from those materials. The old wooden derricks had fine first cut lumber that you can not find any more and will last forever.
WEIRD world when I told the man my name when he asked me, he got excited had to film me with him. He knew my cartoons I guess.
Went to a wedding of a couple senior church persons today. The place was packed to the rafters!! Then it was the community hall for vittles and song. Packed to the celling! Each table had a goldfish bowl with two fish in the center and paper flower 'petals' threwn about the table. What ever for, Heaven only knows! I grab some chips, dips and tiny sandwiches and took off for mi casa...
JD
- Saturday, July 06, 2013 at 18:02:29 (CDT)

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Hope u'all had a better July 4th than me. Not a soul to talk to.
I have been sending cartoons to the local (The Progress)paper for a number of years. Seems Three Rivers (Tx.)is celebrating its 100th birthday this year! Wednesday's paper had a special supplement of very good old photos of how it was in 1913 and other years such as the 40s and 50s.
Was lots of model T touring cars, wagons and many still rode horseback in 1913. Lots were being sold, so quite a few folks in town then.
An interesting shot taken inside the RAY'S Café in the early 40s. Seems there were at least 7 pretty waitresses and quite a crowd eating and drinking at the counter that particular moment.
I remember dad and mother taking me to a movie, Back then it was the RIALTO in Three Rivers, or the West Theatre in George West or the Drive Inn between the two towns,,,,then it was the Tasty Crème or RAY's Café and that made a great night of fun! Especially if it was a Gary Cooper western!
J D
- Friday, July 05, 2013 at 19:23:41 (CDT)

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I might add, after my getting near death on powdered chlorine....my eyesight started going down hill fast!
JD
- Monday, July 01, 2013 at 19:22:55 (CDT)

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Howdy Fern!!!
Grandad's cistern was behind the old barn. Rain gutters were attached to the edge of barn and water run in the cistern. There was a simple square of screen wire to filter the water. I remember seeing a huge long haired rat dead on that screen and goo dripping in the deinking water. So I was given the job of dipping out all the 80% full water out. Lots of WORK I tell you!!
Grandparents had to use water from my family cistern. No telling how many tons of bird droppings we consumed them years. But it sure made GOOD coffee!
At the Snoga Ranch we got our drinking water from an underground cistern back of the house. Had a big screen and lots of prickly pear to keep varmints off it. Every so often powdered chloride was applied to the water to kill any bacteria.
In the kitchen was a bucket and dipper to drink from. One evening I poured some of the water in a pot to cook some beef bullion. I noticed a bitter taste as I ate it.
Soon I got terrible sick with busting headache. I run up and down the dirt road to relieve the pain...I conked out on the floor. A friend gun trader happen by found me in dark house layed out. He hauled me to mothers house in Three Rivers to recuperate. Next day Mr. Crawford (who had the ranch rented) tried to figure out what happened.
There was a huge glass jar of powdered chlorine in the kitchen shelf above the bucket of water. For some reason the old jar cracked and the powder fell into the drinking water. Yellow powder was evident on the bucket lid. About a spoon full of that would kill a moose!!. I didn't see it because it was too dark in that old house.
J D
- Monday, July 01, 2013 at 19:15:03 (CDT)

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Hey, I remember having the old cistern beside the house. I remember a few of us kids crawled down inside it when it was completely dry. Don't know how we got in or got out!! But it was fun.........for little kids,anyway.
Fern
- Sunday, June 30, 2013 at 21:39:51 (CDT)

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Several 100+ degrees days here. Today , a warning was out to look out for an escaped convict. Well, he picked a miserable time to try and out run the LAW!
Had an email from my nephew John Michael. 'We had a third baby...' Had to pry it out of him, baby is a little girl. Maybe I will learn her name someday...
Ran over to the Live Oak Livestock Auction with cousin Travis. Saw one huge stirred up cow jump up and lodged on the high up floor where the auctioneer and typists are running the show, Almost got em but fell off in time!!
Rode over to the huge garbage landfill at Tilden to help a neighbor unload a trailer of junk. Some mighty stinky big sacks of something had huge buzzards crowding all over it. Was glad to finish and leave there!!!
J D
- Friday, June 28, 2013 at 20:21:20 (CDT)

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Several 100+ degrees days here. Today , a warning was out to look out for an escaped convict. Well, he picked a miserable time to try and out run the LAW!
Had an email from my nephew John Michael. 'We had a third baby...' Had to pry it out of him, baby is a little girl. Maybe I will learn her name someday...
Ran over to the Live Oak Livestock Auction with cousin Travis. Saw one huge stirred up cow jump up and lodged on the high up floor where the auctioneer and typists are running the show, Almost got em but fell off in time!!
Rode over to the huge garbage landfill at Tilden to help a neighbor unload a trailer of junk. Some mighty stinky big sacks of something had huge buzzards crowding all over it. Was glad to finish and leave there!!!
J D
- Friday, June 28, 2013 at 20:20:16 (CDT)

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Ol; Joe McCoy has asked me to write this for him since he has no computer (probably not even a radio either) "Is there any single fairly good lookin'honest gals out yonder that might go for an old cowboy in his twilight years?"
I guess I am susposed to get their emails to get aquainted right off. We'll see probably be a dud like every thing else , who knows? Good luck Joe...
J D
- Monday, June 24, 2013 at 21:56:41 (CDT)

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TESTING
J D
- Monday, June 24, 2013 at 06:50:58 (CDT)

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Maybe you should sign up for netflix, JD. You can watch movies on your computer using the internet.
Lefty
- Sunday, June 23, 2013 at 22:34:55 (CDT)

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This is a test
Lefty
- Sunday, June 23, 2013 at 20:42:26 (CDT)

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testing 123
J D
- Sunday, June 23, 2013 at 20:35:21 (CDT)

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HOT old summertime. Hit big rock with lawn mower....ruined it. New converter box on TV went bad, cant get the news...but can see my old DVDs and watch James Dean in GIANT. But just about have all the dialog memorized by now!!
Rain we had has been cooked out of the ground by daily blazing heat. Grass turning brown. So what else is new??
Several more deaths on Hwy 72/Hwy 16 etc,etc, due to the oil boon. People crowded on two sides of me so close I feel like I'm in a goldfish bowl so I try to stay gone a good deal of the time,,,cant even pee in private!!! Guess its my cross to bear..
J D
- Sunday, June 23, 2013 at 20:28:53 (CDT)

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HOT old summertime. Hit big rock with lawn mower....ruined it. New converter box on TV went bad, cant get the news...but can see my old DVDs and watch James Dean in GIANT. But just about have all the dialog memorized by now!!
Rain we had has been cooked out of the ground by daily blazing heat. Grass turning brown. So what else is new??
Several more deaths on Hwy 72/Hwy 16 etc,etc, due to the oil boon. People crowded on two sides of me so close I feel like I'm in a goldfish bowl so I try to stay gone a good deal of the time,,,cant even pee in private!!! Guess its my cross to bear..
J D
- Sunday, June 23, 2013 at 20:28:10 (CDT)

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The old cowboy walked in the barber shop. He was really old and had deep wrinkles all over his whiskered face." Barber..I have a tough time getting even half the whiskers off my rough ol' face..." he tells the barber.
The barber replies that he has just the thing for that and gets a wooden round ball out of a cup on the shelf. "Just put the ball in each cheek, it will smooth em out to get to the whiskers."
It works just fine. The old cowboy says its the best shave he had in years! " But one thing, what would happen if a feller swallowed the ball?"
Barber replied " Well just bring it back in a couple days like everyone else does."
J D
- Monday, June 17, 2013 at 07:44:45 (CDT)

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Still a good idea, and the offer is still open.
Lefty
- Sunday, June 16, 2013 at 14:56:46 (CDT)

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No one wants to share any photos from the 2013 Reunion. That's about what I expected. But I had to be a fool and ask..
J D
- Saturday, June 15, 2013 at 17:30:02 (CDT)

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A few tidbits of humor from longgone days...
Grandad Harry Calliham used to take the mule to the Frio river (about 1/4 mile behind the house)and load up a barrel with water for the home use. There was no 'city water' nothing but a cistern collecting run off water from the old barn during a rain.
Often when Grandad had filled the barrel and leading the mule up the river bank. In the heat, the mule would twist around in his harness and get a big drink out of the barre! Then the family would have to drink off the mule's slobber!
Grandad also plowed the 18 acre field with that a mule. Must have took weeks cutting one row at a time.
Late one evening the preacher dropped by unexpectedly.
Granny was rather nervous I guess. When the preacher asks where Harry was. Granny quickly replied " Harry is out in the field PLAYING...." She got really embarassed and said "eeer I mean he's out in the field PLOWING !"
They got a good laugh out of that.
Grandad said due to the heat and wearing high crown felt hats the year 'round, men put mesquite leaves inside the crown for insulation.
One of the old time farmers, after being nagged by a wife and daughters, put on a big Mexican straw hat, entered the corral..only to heve the mules go berserk tearing up the pens and wagon. They didn't reconize the farmer in a straw hat!
Many years later as I was in the old cow pen behind Grandad's, I saw Grandad (who was almost completely blind by then) walking my way to get a bucket of drinking from the cistern by the barn. He lost sight of the trail, stopped to try to see where the cistern was. He stopped right by our Shetland mare and not even seeing her. Of course 'Queenie' though he had her some feed in the bucket and crammed her head in it. Grandad jumped pulled away. Finally found the cistern. Was walking back and lost his bearing trying to find the house with the full load of water. He once again stopped near 'Queenie' not seeing her. She crammed her head in the bucket trying to drink all the water. Needless to say Grandad was pretty bothered. I ran over and got the bucket, dumped out the slobber and refilled water taking it home for Grandad. It was a funny sight that day. More later....
J D
- Monday, June 10, 2013 at 13:34:31 (CDT)

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I was 12 years when HIGH NOON came to the RIALTO in Three Rivers, Texas.
J D
- Saturday, June 08, 2013 at 22:01:18 (CDT)

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I was 12 years when HIGH NOON came to the RIALTO in THree Rivers, Texas.
J D
- Saturday, June 08, 2013 at 22:00:07 (CDT)

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This week's 'old Radio' HIGH NOON, really brings back some old momeries. It was 60 years ago that this western came to the RIALTO in Three Rivers, Texas.
For some reason school let out at 2 or 2:30 pm. My friend "Bucky" Wall and I walked from school to the Rialto to see this movie. I remember how quiet the town was and we were just about all the people in the movie house at that time of day. It was pretty dark. I sit down in a seat that was turned up and hit the sticky floor hard. Was embarassing.
Even at such an early age we were I thought Gary Cooper looked more like a dad to Grace Kelly than a newly married husband. The tension really built up as the killer gunmen gathered into town and it got nearer to noon. Cooper expressed perfectly the danger he was facing. I was impressed by the latin beauty Katy Jurado!
This movie made a lifelong impression on me as how realisticly a story, people could be potrayed. What a super fine actor Cooper was and how well the whole move was cast.
This was movie making at its very BEST!!
Three Rivers was such a quiet place back then. Just a few cars passing at the traffic light by Conoly's Drug store. Now it't a real madhouse with never ending oil field trucks. You would think you were in Houston or somewhere but old Three Rivers, Texas!!!
J D
- Friday, June 07, 2013 at 18:01:20 (CDT)

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Hey, we could use some snapshots taken yesterday at the Calliham Reunion. This is a kinda big event for us, since it canceled for awhile due to small attendance last year...and made a great comeback this year! So loan us a photo or two and it will be returned to you!!!
J D
- Sunday, June 02, 2013 at 15:35:38 (CDT)

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REUNION went well! Nice sized crowd. David Calliham once again got out the old fiddle and played a host of country tunes. Food was great....especially the banana pudding!
J D
- Saturday, June 01, 2013 at 14:46:41 (CDT)

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Some WALLYWORLD clerk or manager will be surprised to find a dirty old straw hat with a hay twine chin strap laying on the rack where the new hats have just been put out for sale. It was mine ol' boy....!HAha !
JD
- Friday, May 31, 2013 at 17:36:12 (CDT)

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Got ATV out of the shop in BEEVILLE today. Thanx to a good friend hauling my butt around.
Stopped by WALLYWORLD to get some vittles. Noticed they had the NEW western straw hats out. Tried several on. Decided to not buy one and save since I had to pay a bunch on the ATV.
When I went to pay for the groceries, I took off hat to scratch head....that's when I noticed I still was wearing one of those NEW hats! So I quickly stuck it with the groceries to pay for it!! ...before a store detective arrests me for stealing the blasted thing! Darn embarassing! Reunion is tomorrow....now I can drive the new atv there!!
J D
- Friday, May 31, 2013 at 16:47:29 (CDT)

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Just got word several more inlaws and outlaws plan on attending the J T CALLIHAM REUNION! (June 1st) So its lookin' like it will be a winner!
J D
- Monday, May 27, 2013 at 21:12:07 (CDT)

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A young man shot a 14 ft. 3 inch alligator in Choke Canyon lake last week. Was a MONSTER!
I remember back in the early 50s a similar gator got caught in a net and had to killed. It was hung up on a mesquite tree near RYDER'S BEER Joint a couple miles east of 'old Calliham' for all to see. It was 14 ft. also.
Dennis Koonce who used to live in a cabin not far from the Frio River bridge/swimming hole claimed a huge gator would waddle up at night and slam it's tail against the cabin wall wanting food. So he would throw it a chicken.
He said the big mama gator had 18 little ones and it was often seen where I used to swim!
Old Woodrow Wilson (was a young man then)hiked way up "Possum creek" jumped in the water to cool off...and his bare feet landed on the knobby back of a big gator! Mighty lucky to escape being chewed in half!
J D
- Monday, May 27, 2013 at 06:29:21 (CDT)

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May 25th: Calliham was blessed with nearly 3 inches rain. Freak winds knocked down about 2 miles of powerlines near Tilden. We were out of electricity from 11:15 am to 9:17 pm. Phones went dead and water was just a trickle. Was miserable hot them long hours! Several locals sit out in front of the Calliham store and told wild stories. The store door was propted open and it was dark in the store. But found a Dr.Pepper to join the tale telling crowd. Right down the road we watched a man kill a rattlesnake.
J D
- Sunday, May 26, 2013 at 21:08:57 (CDT)

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People asks "What is that 'Virgins of Bali'movie? It was simply a travelog filmed on the island of Bali in 1932. The women there went topless doing their daily routines. Washing clothes outdoors in streams. Cooking and tending animules topless.
You can imagine that at that day and time the film become a 'Shameful evil work of the DEVIL!' Perverting men's minds to lustful thinking! Therefore it become a cult classic.
Compared to today's standard online filth, this is dull as a rerun of Howdy Doody and tame as a Ding Dong School show. (Bet none of the viewers of this websight ever heard of such programs.)
J D
- Thursday, May 23, 2013 at 15:58:53 (CDT)

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J T Calliham Family Reunion JUNE 1st, Calliham Community Center!
J D
- Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 09:12:50 (CDT)

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About all that Facebook stuff, I remember the ancient saying:" Blessed is the man that has nothing to say...and can't be persuaded to say it."
Then there are folks that every time they have a 'call of nature' they must write about it to all their 'friends'.
My cousin Bill Gazaway says his wife sends a photo of the hamburgers they had for lunch to all her Facebook pals!

Don't believe I want the whole goofy world to know my commings and goings or where I hide my (1932 circa)"Virgins of Bali" movie. Probably I would never return to normal again..


JD
- Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 12:03:57 (CDT)

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Writing about the old Calliham days, makes me remember some of the humor of the times.
There was a weatherman on a San Antonio TV station sponsored by a sausage company. Called the BAR S WEATHERMAN. During most of the year it was ALWAYS the same thing...76'at night 98'during daytime. I soon got to calling him the S B WEATHERMAN,,'cause he never predicted rain!
Once I was running around in the old '48 Chevy truck. I was roaring toward Whitsett when I saw a highway worker making all kinds of hand waving gestures. Never occured he was trying to stop me. Off I ran into a huge hole in the road..then I knew and floorboarded the old truck out the other side in embarassment. Think it jarred my gizzard loose that time.
Granny gave a large mounted pair of oxen horns that she said were over 50 years old at that time. I mounted then on the hood of the '48 Chevy for awhile thinking they were 'COOL'. Later I heard uncle Dave had used the SAME horns on the hood of a car he had. (continued some time..)
J D
- Wednesday, May 15, 2013 at 09:25:57 (CDT)

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Well, my kinfolks have me on FACEBOOK. I see a whole passel of kinfolks and names that sound like they may be kinfolks. Danged if I know what to say to 'em! They seem to be prospering pretty well without me already in them big cities and towns.
I already mentioned the J T CALLIHAM REUNION comming up June 1st. 36 letters of invite were sent out requesting confirmation of being there so amount of vittles could be determined. I think only one or two were answered and were negative. Well, good luck on that!
I doubt if there remains a handful of 'kin' that were around when Grandad & Granny Calliham lived near the old Frio river. Us kids went swimming two or three times a day during the blazing hot summers.
All during my time grew up and were long gone but I stayed there raising cattle, ponies and horses while they had families and jobs and other intrests and turned into big city folks. But hope a decent handful will pay their respects to the Calliham family this time.
J D
- Sunday, May 12, 2013 at 17:54:41 (CDT)

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Well, no sale so far. Guess the display is 'Flea Mart' bound.
Bought a new ATV at TRACTOR SUPPLY in Beeville,Tx. Had the old one over 5 1/2 years! Great thing for running around here, going to the post office, church, store and visiting friends. People buy 'em for their kids...and promptly get tires full of cactus and mesquite thorns and wrecked. Sometimes hurt badly when flipped over. Awhile back a couple of girls in their early teens were driving a John Deere 'Gator', hit a dip in the road...both were thrown about 20 feet ahead and landing on the hard pavement..leaving their sandals in the gator.
I cut out a trail that winds through the brush in my place, I call the 'Jungle Road'. Have added more twists and turns to it to entertain folks brave enough to take a tour with me!
Took the most beautiful black headed gal for a run the other day. She smiled alot, didn't say much. Must have been 'overwhelmed' speechless....
J D
- Thursday, May 09, 2013 at 20:15:47 (CDT)

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Okay, Joe do you want a 1950 Cody Colt capgun or a Healthways Western Plainsman BB pistol on the display?
J D
- Sunday, May 05, 2013 at 20:52:27 (CDT)

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I have a plywood display board with 4 old BB pistols from the 50s or 60s and a 1950 cap gun wired to the board. Ready to hang. Decorate your den! Make me an offer...
J D
- Thursday, May 02, 2013 at 07:28:52 (CDT)

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It appears some of my kinfolks have plans for another J T CALLIHAM REUNION on June 1 at the CALLIHAM COMMUNITY CENTER.
J D
- Wednesday, May 01, 2013 at 10:31:55 (CDT)

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Hey Sportsfans---
Take a look at this week's OLD RADIO (April 29) there is an old photo of my mother holding me as a baby in the old swimming hole! Cary comes up with the darned things!!
JD
- Monday, April 29, 2013 at 09:46:19 (CDT)

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Thought I'd relate a little funny thing that happened today. I rode with Travis Calliham to the Kenedy (Tx.) livestock auction this morning. He wanted to buy a 'Billy goat' for his little goat herd back home in Calliham.
After looking over dozens of goats and sheep, he decided none suit him just right. There was some wild looking critters that run through the ring. Many with sweep back horns and some with long beards like an old man might have.
We went to the famous BARTH'S RESTURANT for dinner. I remember this place way back in school days when I was a waterboy for the Tilden 6 man football team and stopped here after a game!
Anyhow as I was chowing down on my plate of Mexican food and Travis on his buffet special, a HUGE loud sound nearly knocking our hats off came across and echoed off the walls startling everyone enjoying a great meal. A woman's voice terrible loud " ...AND HOW TALL ARE YOU, HAPPY HAPPY ?
To which the shocked waiter replied "I'm six foot, two."
In a while she roared at Travis "....AND WHERE DO YOU LIVE, HAPPY HAPPY?". Travis replied "In a house."
I ndidn't want to turn to see what the loud mouth looked like until In was leaving. And it was a tiny blonde old lady with the loudest mouth I have heard since visiting Buckhorn Saloon/ museum in San Antonio. They have 'old time barkers' there that can be heard for miles! One will stand outside the entrance and nearly blow away passerbys....
J D
- Saturday, April 27, 2013 at 16:48:30 (CDT)

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Well, Lefty according to the 'old timers', (which have all bit the dust by now.)the first 'oil boom' was 1918. The CALLIHAM NO: 1 brought in 450 barrels of crude oil a day. It was a shallow well...maybe 400 or 500 ft. deep.
Back then they didn't know how to control it. Therefore oil run down the creek into the river polluting it for miles. Caught on fire.
More wells were drilled all around. Saloons, and grocery stores and hotels were thrown up to accomadate oil field workers. Those shallow wells soon went down in production to mostly salt water and a few barrels of crude a day. The rest is all history.
The present day oil boon or boom is totally different, even if you are a life long land owner and love peaceful country living, they will stifle all you privacy and crowd you off the face of the earth! Total chaos, I hate it more each day! The highways are death traps with a never ending onslaught of heavy trucks and equipement.
Gotta go do my 'chores' today, try to be more cheerful next time...
J D
- Saturday, April 27, 2013 at 07:13:11 (CDT)

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Dad gum! I thought nothing ever happened in Calliham, at least not since J.T. killed the Indian.
At least now we know where all them missing panties got off to.
Lefty
- Sunday, April 21, 2013 at 23:17:57 (CDT)

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Well, since I have had an amazing response to.." Tell, us one of those wild river gauging adventures, please JD !!"
Well, here goes one that I am still puzzled over after so many years gone by.
Things got sort of scary at the old bridge and river crossing. Lots of strange people came and went, I found it necessary to pack a handgun....just in case.
Went to work the gauge that was bolted on the steel framework of the bridge. Could smell smoke from below so after I did my job, decided to check it out. A campfire had burned down to the coals. There was a wide wooden board leaning upright against the steel column. Board was about 2 1/2 ft. wide and 3 ft. tall with a drawing or outline of a woman etched on the surface. Had dozens of knife stab marks all over the board. There was a large pile of girls panties nearby and some half burned up in the remaining hot campfire coals. I poked around with stick and counted about 29 pair of girls' panties ( think that is the right number) I know it was a BIG PILE!
Make you wonder just what sort of weird critter or critters had been here!!
Another summer when the place was full of swimmers, a young Russel Calliham thought he could ride his bicyle on top the handrail and keep his balance. He rode a few feet and bike slipped off plunging him over the side and hitting the big rocks and gravel below breaking his arm. Swimmers got a good show that day.
Russel and his friends, the Dusek brothers would regularly drop off the floor of the old bridge into the 40 or more feet below to the the water, making a huge splash. Quite a show for the onlookers...until one of the Dusek brothers hit a submerged waterlogged post and cut himself very badly!
Before that I had seen those boys sitting on the very top of the steel bridge framework. Don't know if they ever dove off from that height. Talk at ya later.
J D
- Saturday, April 20, 2013 at 16:26:13 (CDT)

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BUSY WEEK! Thanks to the WEBMEISTER ,'LEFTY' Cary Semar...I now have HIGH SPEED internet service! Don't have to wait 40 hours to download a 4 minute video clip any more!That old dial-up was a pain in the @#***^%!
Had surprise visit today from Roger Paul and 'Rusty' Wilson Of Victoria and Beeville (Tx.). They were raised in the original town of Calliham.
Their dad Horace of Pleasanton recently passed away and while going thru his nice ranch style home, they discovered a huge colorful painting of the Frio River bridge and ol'swimming hole that my mother painted in 1979. They presented it to me! Don't believe I have ever seen it before. Very good rendering of the old long gone place. Very large painting and realistic!
I used to gauge the river daily for the government daily for 9 years. I can tell lots of wild stories that took place during that time and about some huge floods that happened!
J D
- Thursday, April 18, 2013 at 15:33:42 (CDT)

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One of my ol' redneck cousins dropped by yesterday. He had just did some 'gun-swapping' and come up with a real rarity 1891-'92 model lever action,octagonal barreled MARLIN rifle in the seldom seen .32 rimfire caliber!
After several hours of cleaning...this turns out to be in very fine condition! Good wood and good bore!
Might take some time and doings to locate .32 rimfire ammo but he cant wait 'till he gets to shoot it!
Those old MARLINS are somewhat better rifles than the famed Winchesters I do believe!
J D
- Sunday, April 14, 2013 at 18:48:34 (CDT)

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One of my ol' redneck cousins dropped by yesterday. He had just did some 'gun-swapping' and come up with a real rarity 1891-'92 model lever action,octagonal barreled MARLIN rifle in the seldom seen .32 rimfire caliber!
After several hours of cleaning...this turns out to be in very fine condition! Good wood and good bore!
Might take some time and doings to locate .32 rimfire ammo but he cant wait 'till he gets to shoot it!
Those old MARLINS are somewhat better rifles than the famed Winchesters I do believe!
J D
- Sunday, April 14, 2013 at 18:48:21 (CDT)

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Forgot to ask ol' Joe if she could slap up a batch of great flour tortills, that's the most important thing keeping a marriage afloat!
J D
- Saturday, April 13, 2013 at 07:52:43 (CDT)

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Was just sitting in my ol' ATV waiting for the mail to be put up when ol' Joe McCoy rattled up in his old brush scarred ranch pickup.
He look kinda down and soon got into some details of his recent marriage. He went on with.." All this time I thought she was good lookin' as a Hollywood model..long legged blonde,,,a real glamour gal and all..." "Well", I says "She looked that part to me...but just what changed your mind?"
Ol' Joe was silent for a long time...and then went on. "On that wedding night she took off that blonde wig, those false long eyelashes, the dentures, the big padded bra,the sexy hip pads, those blue colored eye lenses/inplants and took off those 6 inch high heel shoes..!!" He went on " Instead of a beautiful glamour model...she looked just like POPEYE, the sailor man!...And she can't even make decent coffee!"

JD
- Saturday, April 13, 2013 at 07:40:17 (CDT)

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Thought it is time to write in a few remarks. Drought hangs on in south Texas. Oil/gas boon growing by leaps and bounds everyday. Gotta see it to believe it!!
Excuse meee....my old washing machine starts jumping all over the room and I have to hold 'er down during certain cycles....be back soon...
Stopped in the GOODIE BOX in Three Rivers, Texas the other day. I love this place! Worlds of antiques, curious items, old photos from the local history/peoples. Found a great book..COWGIRLS women of the wild west. Mostly rodeo gals from the 1880s to about the mid 1940s. This is a BIG thick book full of great photos and stories of various performers. Gals like Prairie Rose Henderson (my favorite)Fox Hastings lady BULLDOGGER, Tad Lucas the greatest trick rider of all time! The late Reine Hafley Shelton was a world famous trick rider and is the grandmother of our current McMullen county sheriff!
Just a few thoughts I could throw in. Don't forget church this sunday,,,our country is in peril and needs lots of sincere prayer!!
J D
- Friday, April 12, 2013 at 13:46:26 (CDT)

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Had some loud thunder storms this week with about 6/10 of an inch rain. Saw some small but pretty bluebonnets appear the next day by my dog pen.
About the time I store away the old electric heater and heavy sleeping bag....turns off COLD again.
The oil/gas boom is still crowding in on every thing....be glad when they MOVE on some where else!!
As far as I'm concerned, I met the most beautiful gal, a newcomer to the area and we are great friends. Later..
J D
- Friday, April 05, 2013 at 07:56:52 (CDT)

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My email server had been 'out of order' most of the past week. Could not get a thing on the computer, so I am behind on answering messages.
J D
- Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 08:36:01 (CDT)

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Correcting my terrible spelling: ATLANTIS is the correct spelling. COVENANT as in Ark of the COVENANT.
J D
- Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at 10:13:53 (CDT)

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Due to the massive flood of comments on the subject below, thought I'd add a few more questions to the 'All knowing, never lying computer':
Was there really a continent of ALANTIS that sunk under the sea, and when was this?
Were is the ARK of the COVENENT that protected Moses and his millions of followers as they fled toward the promised land?
How many pounds could SAMSON bench press?
When will public outrage force TV shows like 'Two and a Half Men' and Jerry Springer off the air?
Will we EVER have decent regular rainfall in south Texas?
J D
- Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at 06:39:06 (CDT)

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If you had a computer that would never lie and could show video like pictures of anything you wondered about...what would you ask it?

Just for fun, not always my most important questions, but here are some of mine:
When were the very first Mexican sombreros adapted as headwear? Why is the government spraying us with 'chem trails'? Weather modification? The drought is slowly killing the midwest to south Texas. Why do we have to breathe heavy metals?
What did the makers of my arrowheads really look like? And when were they knapped?
Exactly what did the dinosaurs look like and sound like?
Just how S E X Y and gorgeous was EVE, the first woman?
Lastly, the age old question debated by pastors for centuries...when will the RAPTURE take place...before, during or after the TRIBULATION? Any questions you'all?
JD
- Thursday, March 21, 2013 at 15:36:19 (CDT)

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"Granny" (Bates) Calliham also loves to raise watermelons, so about 5 acres were fenced off with hogwire to keep out livestock. She didn't do anything half way!
Once dad drove the old tractor to cultivate between the rows....driving over an armadilla den that the dogs had dug into..tractor nearly went out of sight when it all caved in!
Dad was nearly thrown off!
Another time little Thomas Calliham, her grandson she raised, cut a plug out of each melon eating the red off the end. Putting plugs back in...they all rotted that year!!
She made some wonderful crops, often carring water in a bucket to the thirsty plants and using a hoe and grandson to fertilize each seed hill.
One year Granny decided to burn off each big mesquite tree because she thought they used up all the moisture in the ground, even though they were quite a ways over the fence from the melons.
She had some fantastic melons crops when the weather was favorable. Sold lots of great melons and had great name as melon raiser!
J D
- Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 11:55:18 (CDT)

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Now,on the subject of Adam Bates ancestors...thought I would add a few things about Sam Bates (my grandmother's brother)
Sam had a small house by the dirt road midway between the 'original' town of Calliham and the Frio River crossing.
He had a small herd of cattle that roamed freely on the townsite. Had some mules which he used to pull cars out of mud holes on the dirt road to Three Rivers. There was a area of blackland that turned into a swamp during a heavy rain.
Uncle Dave was a kid then and helped Sam with the livestock. Sam tried to stop some gullies from getting deeper by chopping mesquite limbs and prickly pear and filling in the washouts with the pear and limbs. The cactus will take root when the neddles or thorns stick in the ground. I have done the same process when we still had a sizable pasture to care for. Anyhow Sam overdid it and had a stroke. Had to remain in bed from then on with 'Granny' taking care, bathing, dressing, washing bed clothes until his demise. In those days she only had an iron wash pot to heat outside and use homemade lye soap to wash with. It was terrible hard on Granny. She also had near blind Grandad to care for also. Sam died in '38. I gave Jim Bates Sam's old branding iron which I used also. Another decade after Sam died, Granny had to care for her sister Jensey Bates the same way. The old country life was very hard on women..
J D
- Friday, March 15, 2013 at 18:58:34 (CDT)

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Please excuse my typing errors and mispellings.
About Adam Bates' ancestors. I remember well back in the 40s when 'Granny' Calliham showed me bare circular places on the ground about 100 yards from their home, where her Bates kinfolks had dwellings made from lumber and wagon sheets for roofs, many years ago.
I uncovered lots of peices of old cast iron stoves and latern parts when replacing fence posts nearby.
Uncle Dave showed me where one of the Bates had a dugout dwelling near the Frio River. Had a garden and 3 trees planted, one each for Rosabelle, Dave and Georgia (my mother). All very deep under waters of Choke Canyon Lake now. Later, jd


J D
- Friday, March 15, 2013 at 08:44:59 (CDT)

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Gosh, thanks a million Adam! Really loved the adventure trip last month with your dad SANTIAGO Jim & Paul Newman!
It was beautiful at the Goliad missions and battlefield. OLd Helena ghost town was interesting. A great trip!!
J D
- Thursday, March 14, 2013 at 20:48:41 (CDT)

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Copied from an email today.
Johnny Dean
I just love looking at your website. It really takes me away from the concrete jungle I live in and remember where my ancestors came from.
Keep writing and drawing and know that folks from all walks of life enjoy your work.

Your nephew, Adam K. Bates
your nephew
J D
- Thursday, March 14, 2013 at 20:29:22 (CDT)

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I had a surprise visit from PAT NANCE of Austin, Texas. We were classmates back in Three Rivers School many moons ago. He is retired military. Was extremely smart in his classes back in school days So many of our classmates have passed away since them ol' days.
The Viet Nam war messed up so many promising young men. So strange that others just seemed to take it in stride.
I hope some other friends/classmates send in comments to me or drop by, am curious just who is still around...
J D
- Tuesday, March 05, 2013 at 16:07:42 (CST)

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Here in Calliham,Tx., we had some very high winds Tuesday. Made a mess out of the tin roof over my old trailer house. Tin blew loose, banged and banged together. Noise was deafening. Lucky my new cabin was alright. It still has to be set back on one corner from the earthquake awhile back. Seems the whole area is being covered with those dang plastic bags! I save most of mine to use as garbage bags to put in the trash hamper for monday pick up.
Wasn't long ago groceries left the store in cardboard boxes and the store clerk would carry them out to your car for you. An old cowboy living way around the Simmons area bought groceries at one of the stores in Three Rivers. Returned home only to find the clerk put the wrong groceries in his car. He didn't need several boxes of KOTEX, Midol and strawberry/persimmon ice cream!
Oh yeah, about that home defense handgun...on second thought for one that dosen't shoot alot, think I would choose a .32 magnum. I am used to single actions but if you arent then get a good double action revolver. I think the .32 maggy is a fine low recoil great round for the novice. I like the Ruger Single-Six.
J D
- Thursday, February 28, 2013 at 16:28:57 (CST)

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In regards to an e-mail from long time visiter to this site, DAYTON SMITH. Yes I certainly did notice all the oil field trucks, wells, pipeyards, compressors, steel buildings etc.etc. around the Karnes City-Kenedy area last week. Same old thing right here in McMullen/Live Oak counties. Old timers from the country...STAY OFF THE HIGHWAYS as much as you can! People die almost daily on this congested mess!
You asked about a home defense handgun. Shooting a .357 from your bed inside the room. May cause you to lose all your hearing and would destroy any refriderator, cookstove or whatever is in the bullet's path....however may protect you alright. Might try some .38 shotshells.
J D
- Wednesday, February 27, 2013 at 07:01:24 (CST)

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Remembering things around Three Rivers, Tx. Must have been '71 or '72, I was working by myself doing the nightshift at Bomar's Texaco station. It was Saturday night late when two very drunk Mexican couples pulled in from a dance. When they were in the office, a fight started. All four were on the floor by the counter spilling peanuts and knocking over stuff. An excited nightwatchman ran in telling me to 'CALL THE LAW!!!' Which I did and the sheriff came and was very angry. He tried to load them up, they wouldn't go. He beat one ol' boy over the head with a blackjack about 6 or 7 times..but he wouldn't load up. The nightwatchman ran in telling me 'CALL MORE LAW!!' So I did.
A big cowboy type deputy drove up. They manhandled the drunk bunch into the backseat of of the car....except one very drunk and mad gal. She kicked like a mule! They threw her in the car. I could see her feet kicking the back glass asd they sped off to jail.
Mr. "G"(Alfredo Guerra foremely the projection man of the Rialto was the manager of that TEXACO station. He came by and thought the whole thing was quite funny! He was a great boss...
J D
- Friday, February 22, 2013 at 12:51:47 (CST)

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Remembering things around Three Rivers, Tx. Must have been '71 or '72, I was working by myself doing the nightshift at Bomar's Texaco station. It was Saturday night late when two very drunk Mexican couples pulled in from a dance. When they were in the office, a fight started. All four were on the floor by the counter spilling peanuts and knocking over stuff. An excited nightwatchman ran in telling me to 'CALL THE LAW!!!' Which I did and the sheriff came and was very angry. He tried to load them up, they wouldn't go. He beat one ol' boy over the head with a blackjack about 6 or 7 times..but he wouldn't load up. The nightwatchman ran in telling me 'CALL MORE LAW!!' So I did.
A big cowboy type deputy drove up. They manhandled the drunk bunch into the backseat of of the car....except one very drunk and mad gal. She kicked like a mule! They threw her in the car. I could see her feet kicking the back glass asd they sped off to jail.
Mr. "G"(Alfredo Guerra foremely the projection man of the Rialto was the manager of that TEXACO station. He came by and thought the whole thing was quite funny! He was a great boss...
J D
- Friday, February 22, 2013 at 12:51:30 (CST)

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Thanks Lefty! Hope more folks write in with info and fun recollections. Seems there was a TEXACO gas station almost on every main street corner just a few years ago in Three Rivers and every small town...but they seem to have disappeared from the scene. The outdoor news/magazine stands no longer are around. I used to buy POLICE GAZETTE mostly for the pin up girl pics!
Dad would send me over to a feed grinding mill in my old '48 3/4 ton Chevy PU with a load of corn and bundles of hay to be ground and sacked there in Three Rivers. It was SCHULZE & CURRY's feed store. Those two men always wore khaki pants and shirts and wore those 'Open Road' Stetson hats. Big mounted deer heads graced the walls. Dad would weigh me on those scales when I was little....
J D
- Friday, February 22, 2013 at 11:07:10 (CST)

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I remember the old Rex movie theater in Three Rivers. I think Thomas Calliham took me to a movie there when I was a kid.

There was also a Rex movie theater in Beeville, which I remember well. The building still stands, but it is used as an office building now and meeting place for the Mason's Lodge.
Lefty
- Thursday, February 21, 2013 at 17:19:27 (CST)

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Just for fun...can anyone out there remember a tiny beer joint called "The Dirty Shame" that was just down the road from the old hospital on 281 north of town in Three Rivers, Texas? How 'bout,,,is there anyone that remembers the first movie theatre in Three Rivers? Or exactly where the livestock auction was in the early 50s in Three Rivers? How 'bout Carl Witt's drugstore and confectionary...How GREAT those root beers were from the fountain? Ray's Cafe? Simm's Place? Joe Flores' cafe? WHERE DID THE TIME GOOOO?
J D
- Thursday, February 21, 2013 at 13:45:01 (CST)

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Howdy. Was a busy three days this week! Cousin Jim Bates and his pal Paul Newman dropped by pulling Jim's camper. They parked it here and we took off visiting the Goliad mission and fort. Went to Fannin's battlefield. Stopped by old Helena (ghost town). Saw the famous Ruckman mansion that is being restored.
Perfect weather...a bit cold in the wee hours. Went by an unusual sight. The huge circular dance hall near Garfield and off Cotton Patch road. Must have been built by Chez and Polish immigrants/farmers long ago. Huge thing out in the middle of the flattest country! What a sight!!

J D
- Thursday, February 21, 2013 at 11:00:08 (CST)

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Overheard a kid talking about changing his name,the other day. Made me think of back when I was maybe 3 years old. Had a toy jeep and thought the world of it, Therefore my name should be "Jeeptruckman".
Company would visit and ask "What's your name, little boy?" Dad would be embarassed. I remember being at Granny's old smokehouse when uncle Dave was there with Dad. I told him I was Jeeptruckman". Dad spanked me hard but I kept on insisting I was "Jeeptruckman". Dad spanked me until he was played out. And he was a powerful man!
The next dumb thing was as a teen, I wanted an exciting name so I decided to be "Wild Will Winchester". Another dashing frontier hero like the Western stories I had read.
But I got to thinking all the name changes would"t change the fact I would still be a pimply faced teen ager and you have to make a name for your self by your daily good deeds and how you treat your fellowman.
J D
- Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 08:13:35 (CST)

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Had loud thunderstorm night before last! Nearly knocked my hut off the blocks! Great followup rain to last week's.
Plans for a big HOLIDAY INN to be built in none other than ol' 'Dog Town' TILDEN, Texas!
I am finally getting rid (or trying to)of my old assortment of airguns of the 50s, 60s. Old pistols that I thought was great waaay back there in my kid days. Have some old 40s Daisys like Red Ryder, Daisy pump gun model 25 and other rare ones. Talk at ya later...
J D
- Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at 10:49:50 (CST)

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Had loud thunderstorm night before last! Nearly knocked my hut off the blocks! Great followup rain to last week's.
Plans for a big HOLIDAY INN to be built in none other than ol' 'Dog Town' TILDEN, Texas!
I am finally getting rid (or trying to)of my old assortment of airguns of the 50s, 60s. Old pistols that I thought was great waaay back there in my kid days. Have some old 40s Daisys like Red Ryder, Daisy pump gun model 25 and other rare ones. Talk at ya later...
J D
- Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at 10:49:44 (CST)

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I assume you are John, my nephew. Write more often, the folks out there probably think I am an old hobo with no living reletives ! Hope you, wife and little rug rats are proud as punch and happy as an old mare that broke into the corn crib. We had a very good amount of rain last night!! Hope we have some bluebonnets this year...if there is any place where the damn oil company pipelines, trucks and campers havent ripped apart the land thats left.
JD
- Wednesday, February 06, 2013 at 20:02:14 (CST)

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Canada is the best because they have less strict gun laws that us and they have less murders each year that us.
John
- Tuesday, February 05, 2013 at 23:06:35 (CST)

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Life is strange. The way things change can be cruel and perplexing. For example my folks had lots of pastureland with the old Frio River running on it to swim, camp,hike,hunt or whatever.
The land was an "estate" meaning it belonged to several families and we all could enjoy it. Lot of owners were vacant from it for decades. My folks were poor by standards of the times. But dad barely missed a day of work until he became disabled by "oldtimers"disease.
For many, many years I had horses to ride and enjoyed 'homegrown' trail rides with especially with GIRLS in summer!
We lost the old place to the dam builders. Got tiny parcels of land to try to live 'country'. Worked to a degree for awhile...now the oil boon has trailer parks, people, people crowding right in your face leaving no privacy whatsoever any more. Now owning a horse is more a rich person's hobby. So many are boxed away in stalls and barely get out in the sunshine.
If this is so-called 'progress'....you know what you can do with it!!

J D
- Monday, February 04, 2013 at 10:25:46 (CST)

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Looking back on the CORRAL comments from several years ago, I see it has been over 4 years since our REAL COWGIRL Janene flew the coop back to Nebraska. We all loved this wonderful gal and still miss her.
Thanks to David Hudson we got a real update on DAYLON HICKS, once billed as "AMERICA's youngest singing cowboy".
Seems he is still singing...but for the LORD. Just goes to show you never know just what great folks come out of counties like LIVE OAK county, Texas!
Lets get some good stories and comments going once again!
J D
- Friday, February 01, 2013 at 12:56:53 (CST)

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I do get gun comments that are sent to my email addy instead of the MOSTLY GUNS dept. Please send them to the MOSTLY GUNS segment, thank you pardners!
Another odd thing is...when I sent FWs. to DiAnna Larson in Nebraska they go to Diana Williams (a computer repair gal of NUMBER ONE QUALITY) in Three Rivers, Texas. Her email is for folks that need tech. computer help. She dosent want any FWs. clogging her inbox! ...will tell you right quick how the cow bites the corn!!
J D
- Monday, January 21, 2013 at 18:03:51 (CST)

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Thank you Fay for informing me of Roger's passing. So many who took up smoking as a young person have died early in life. In our own family, Ted and Virginia Gazaway, Roy Semar and my brother Mike all had smoking related health problems.
Ted was just 50 years old. People use smoking to deal with everyday/work stress and that just seems to compound the problems. So sad that it gets such a hold on folks.
After the heart attack, Mike quit smoking...but so many years of the habit, it took it's toll and he survived almost another 10 years.
My feelings go out to Mina,Russell, Mary and families for their loss. jd
J D
- Monday, January 21, 2013 at 11:02:13 (CST)

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JD, I don't know if the first message I sent got to the Corral, so I'll try again. Our cousin Roger Calliham passed away Saturday night. I have no details of the arrangements, yet. Mina will let me know today.
Virginia Clark
- Monday, January 21, 2013 at 09:21:25 (CST)

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JD, we found out yesterday that our cousin Roger Calliham passed away on Saturday night. He had emphysema and contracted pneumonia. He was 60 yr old.
Virginia Clark
- Monday, January 21, 2013 at 08:32:50 (CST)

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Another week gone by. Thought I'd freeze my gizzard off for about three days! Had blow out on ATV. Tire left the rim! Ran over to Pleasanton(Tx) with cousin Travis, no one would repair tire. Thousands of off work oilfield families flooding highways and cafes. Run by big flea mart by auction barn. Bought H&;R 20 gauge shotgun to resell, hoping to make a few dollars. Bought big container of "GREEN SLIME" with pump to fill ATV tire to fix flat.
Cousin bought a couple Mexico made palm leaf cowboy hats.
From Calliham to Tilden, then to Jourdanton is solid oil field steel buildings, trailer parks, pipe/equipement yards. Traffic is hellish! A few months ago was just pastureland. Got to get outa here some way...
J D
- Saturday, January 19, 2013 at 13:53:24 (CST)

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Was hoping the subject below would get crowded out of the picture with more CORRAL comments.....but as my luck goes it will be there till the cows come home or till Cary becomes a 'Holy Roller'...and boy howdy that might be quite a 'SPELL'!
So, I thought I might mention the MOSTLY GUNS dept. has been revamped with spaces to add your comments on the current gun issues. All the old GUNS STORIES/pictures are still there. This part seems to get quite a few hits every month.
The right to keep and bear arms is not just for target shooters, collectors or hunters, it is a provision to protect the citizens in case the government become too big for it's britches and tries to take away away our God given freedoms and force us into a type of slavery.
Here's hoping we get some comments on that MOSTLY GUNS site. I always figured if I get no opinions means you'all have NO opinions. Hope I am incorrect..
J D
- Monday, January 14, 2013 at 20:51:05 (CST)

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Well "SMURD" or whoever you are, guess I've done given up on that ( ....panties on clothesline..) sort of thing ever happening. Although the lake is 17 feet low, why don't you jump in it! Takes only a foot or less to drown your smart butt!
J D
- Friday, January 11, 2013 at 18:56:12 (CST)

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Nope, you're not likely to be kidnapped....and I bet seldom bothered by bras and panties hanging on your rusty old clotheline!!!!!!
"Smurd" Jackson
- Thursday, January 10, 2013 at 18:27:56 (CST)

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Some great rains last night over a large area of Texas!
Was thinking about Fern's Corral account of her family Christmas. Hard for me to remember what a family Christmas is like or to sit down to a table with family. My table is loaded down with books, two computers, dozens of magic markers, pencils and pens. I eat out of the same old steel pot..oatmeal and Ramen noodles for decades. Listening to the news or a Christian program every morning. The drawer that is supposed to hold spoons, forks etc.etc. is running over with grocery bills, old gun parts and such. Well, I guess being old, ugly and poor...I never worry about being kidnapped...
J D
- Wednesday, January 09, 2013 at 17:54:31 (CST)

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Wonderful to hear from you again, Fern!
Bear with me if you remember this old Christmas story afore. Was quite awhile back in the 60s I believe. My parents would have Christmas eve party at Tuleta (north of Beeville,Tx.). Our kinfolks the Semars and Harris'and us would all get together, visit and eat a ton of food and open gifts. We got back home about 10:45 pm, tired and had to rest up to be ready for midnight Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic church in Three Rivers by midnight.
After mass was over and we had drove back home, we sure 'nuff was well wore out and ready for bed.
After an hour or so sleeping...the hounds started a terrible loud barking session that would not end!
Poor tired dad stepped out on the front porch and flipped the light on. Dad was in his boxer shorts. A huge 'coon being chased by the hounds run up dad's legs like a tree! 'Coon climbed on top dad's head getting away from the biting loud mouth hounds!Dad was slapping for all his worth trying to get free from the big hairy rascal perched atop his noggin. Finally knocked Mr. Coon off and the hounds had a wild chase.
I know that would have won big money on AMERICA'S FUNNIEST VIDEOS ...
J D
- Saturday, January 05, 2013 at 14:14:30 (CST)

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We had a good Christmas here in Oklahoma. Went to son's on Christmas Eve to watch granddaughters open gifts!! what fun!!! then on Christmas day it was just Jim (hubby) and me, very quiet. I was sick with a virus........and THEN we got SNOW, SNOW and wound up with 7 inches of the white stuff. Even made some good ole snow cream.. yum.. Missin my Tex cousins.
Mary Fern
- Friday, January 04, 2013 at 19:26:41 (CST)

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Hi Roxanne! Surprised you are still speaking to mean 'ol me!
Without thinking I sent Roxy's 6 yr. old little girl an old fashioned 'Rubberband gun'. (These were made in a workshop in Oregon by Hugh Bodey's compadres.)
Very simple all wood gun that flings large rubberbands that whack you on the side of the head, in the eye or on the nose.
Roxy said her and Jon spent hundreds of dollars buying fancy stuff for little Savannah....only to have her play for hours with a darn rubberband gun, whacking everybody and every thing with big rubberbands!
J D
- Tuesday, January 01, 2013 at 05:53:28 (CST)

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Happy New Year JD!

roxanne warren
- Tuesday, January 01, 2013 at 00:28:40 (CST)

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had CHRISTMAS dinner at the restored old mission bldg. a little north of Super S grocery in Three Rivers, Tx. Many months of work went into rebuilding, painting and finishing the interior of this old brick church. Huge crowd. Everyone got big plate of food as soon as they sit down. Lots of young people singing Christmas songs on the 'stage'.
Visited with some old friends.
Wind blew hard outside and dust was thick, like the beginning of another dust bowl era.
Later I visited Travis Calliham and his son Cliff back home. Was an enjoyable CHRISTMAS.
j d
- Wednesday, December 26, 2012 at 13:23:50 (CST)

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Christmas eve, not one word of comment from anyone.
J D
- Monday, December 24, 2012 at 05:37:08 (CST)

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Don't call me Dick, Slick. Call me when the blueberry pancakes are ready....
Sometimes I must live in a Laurl & Hardy cartoon. Went to Walmart. Had to exchange blue jeans (Christmas gifts)to proper sizes and exchange DVD player for VCR/DVD player. Like to never found the right stuff anyhow got back home. Couldnt find keys to get in house. I had just had them and "poof" they vanished. Stared at the gravel road over and over thinking they were dropped there. Pryed off screen and got window open squeezed in house. Very hard to do! Found old keys that didnt help. Busted lock on storage building found key to one of the buildings. Good lady friend stopped by and we searched, searched and give out. Prayed and prayed. She had to go work. Went to post office bought a new box rent key. Wore out looking.
Got ready for bed. Found the MISSING KEYS in back pocket instead of front and was hiding under the bilfold!
Just like a THREE STOOGE movie!
J D
- Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 16:50:28 (CST)

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Lefty is my nick, Dick. I chose it because I am left-handed.
Lefty
- Wednesday, December 19, 2012 at 18:32:20 (CST)

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I prefer not to call you "Lefty". A man is much more than a political party.
As for me being lucky to be alive, when I have to see all this once rural area be destroyed by the oil companys into nothing but hundreds of pipe yards, steel office buildings, millions of trucks, pickups and heavy equipement on the move increasing day by day, somehow I don't feel lucky. I feel like the last man at the Alamo.

J D
- Wednesday, December 19, 2012 at 10:57:39 (CST)

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Sounds like you are lucky to be alive, JD.
Lefty
- Monday, December 17, 2012 at 11:08:42 (CST)

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About uncle Herbert Bedwell....dad had 2 sisters and 3 brothers. Herbert was the oldest and not tall like the other brothers but very short and stocky.
There is a great deal I dont know about them but Herbert left the 'nest' very young age. Somehow had his own small drilling rig and drilled wells down on the border and some in the jungles south of the border.
When his brother Willy come back from fighting in the pacific, he went to work for Herbert drilling on the border. Willy was killed when the block on the cable crushed his head.
Herbert loved hunting elk, muledeer, bear about any big game. Would stay up to about 3 am reading hunting/gun magazines. People called him 'sleepy' because his eyes were always red and puffy.
He was sort of comical in appearance..short stock and wore small brim DOBBS felt hats with brim turned up.
Loved to show his old Frontier Colt 45s to visitors. One time home alone he tried to out draw 'Matt Dillon' when GUNSMOKE come on. Someone had left a bullet in the old gun...well the blast blew glass and crap all over the living room! People teased him for 20 years after about that. Later Herbert and son Bobby had custom Colt 1911s and shot in big competition meets.
The last time I saw my uncle was in the late 70s or about '80. Mother and I went to the home of Herbert & Marie near Aransas Pass, Texas. I was at a target range with my uncle while he planned to sight in a nice scoped vintage Winchester model 88. He let me try it from a bench rest at the range. It was perfectly sighted in. So we headed back to his home. Found out he was suffering from the effects of a stroke not long before this. He drove on the wrong side of the highway at times going the short distance home. As drivers honked he said "What's wrong with that DAMN GUY?" But we got to the house in a couple scary minutes.
That night after mother and aunt Marie went to bed, uncle Herbert wanted to show me another award winning gun that was hid under the sink. Being that the stroke had affected the use of one arm/hand...the gun went off! Blowing a hole in the window facing! Marie amd mom came running and really threw a fuss. It scared 'em badly!
Now all my Bedwell uncles, aunts and parents and brother are gone.
Really miss 'em....
J D
- Monday, December 17, 2012 at 06:20:24 (CST)

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JD, you should tell us more about Uncle Herbert and Aunt Marie. I don't recall you ever mentioning them before, at least not lately, that's for sure.


Lefty
- Sunday, December 16, 2012 at 08:54:46 (CST)

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I was spoiled rotten as a kid at Christmas, always expecting a big shiny cowboy cap pistol.
One year uncle Herbert & aunt Marie gave me an espensive ERECTOR SET. You could build bridges and construct all sorts of things. I wasn't a bit interested. And when the party was over and my family was going home, aunt Marie asked me if I got any good gifts. I said something like "Awww...didn't get much...".
Mother apoligized "He thinks he's just always got to have some kind of gun...'
To this day, I am embarassed when I think I might have hurt aunt & uncle's feelings that long, long ago Christmas.
Uncle Hurbert was probably on a hunting trip down in Old Mexico when he mailed a big package back to me. It was a real leather fancy double holster cap gun set with two Mexican made shiny pistols and dummy bullets on the belt. I thought I had went to 'shoot 'em up' Roy Rogers heaven!
JD
- Sunday, December 16, 2012 at 07:46:23 (CST)

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On a bumper sticker "BAN SPOONS,they make people FAT!!"
J D
- Saturday, December 15, 2012 at 13:30:40 (CST)

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Stopped by my cousin Travis Calliham's on my way back from post office. He was fixing a water leak in the hoss pen where it had froze.
He said yesterday was '12/12/12, that MAYAN calender says the world would end! I told him, maybe it did. Us Calliham folks are usually the last to know!
And if we went Christmas shopping/Walmarting we might find every thing past a three mile radius of Calliham is done gone!
Well least it would be refief from the dang oil/gas boon we are forced to put up with!
J D
- Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 10:30:55 (CST)

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It make me sad to report the untimely death of Jenni Rivera, a California born American/Mexican singer. She was at the height of her superstar career. A beautiful great singer of fantastic popularity here and Latino countries.
Very ironic that one of her earliest recordings was about the death of Selena.
Jenni and six others ( friends/pilot) left Monterrey in a small jet headed for another concert...but crashed in the northern Mexico mountains last weekend.
J D
- Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 23:09:02 (CST)

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Cary, didn't know you ever worked in fields like that. My late friend from ol' Calliham days, John Mikus once told me about his younger days picking cotton. Think this was near George West (live Oak county, Tx.) " They had a big drinking water can in the shade of a mesquite tree for all the pickers to use. There were quite a bunch of us starting out in field that morning while it was still a bit cool. I took a big drink and was off dragging my sack down the cotton row.
After awhile I saw a man grab the seay of his pants and run like a scared jackrabbit for the brush! I thought it was sort of funny...but soon another ol' boy did the same. What in tarnation is going on? Then a Mexican gal grabbed herself and run across the cotton rows like a ruptured goose! Then pretty soon I GRABBED MYSELF and tore off running on all my power to the brush!!
Some dang knothead had filled the drinking water can with "gyp" or gypsunm water. Tastes good when cool...but is a turbo-charged LAXATIVE !
Mexican ladies often left their babies sleeping on a pallet in a good shade. A low wood fire mostly hot coals burning with a clay pot simmering with frijoles (beans)cooking to be ready at noon. Then the makings of tortillas slapped together and dinner was ready.
No telling how many times rattlesnakes came near the sleeping bambinos. Or a curious coyote came snooping by.
One night long ago in McMullen county, a rabid coyote stepped out of the dark and bit a black chuck wagon cook.
Back then there was no cure. They chained the poor cook to a tree. He went mad in a few days, foaming at the mouth and died. His grave is near the bank in Tilden.
J D
- Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 11:27:10 (CST)

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I remember them talking about the "screw worm fly program" on the radio back when I was young. One summer when I was working as a trailer hand on a cotton stripper, I saw some of those little crumpled cardboard boxes in the fields. If you hadn't a mentioned it, I might never have thought about screw worms again for the rest of my life. The boss was named Hooley Harrel. He sat in the car and he wore a fedora. The rest of us worked in the sun and wore those cheap Juan Valdez straw hats you could get in the hardware store.
Lefty
- Monday, December 10, 2012 at 16:38:10 (CST)

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This week's LITTLE JOE cartoon about chewing gum makes me think of back in the '40s when some brands of gum had the 'tin foil' or silver wrappers first time.
There was quite a scare that cattle would injest the 'metallic' wrappers carelessly thrown around by 'HEATHERNS" and die horrible deaths! You were to pick up and dispose of all you found!! NO JOKE!
Another thing was in the late '60s and '70s when some state agency started dropping by planes, hundreds of little boxes of STERILE screw worm flies to breed with the natural screw worm flies of the area to have no more offspring.
This method worked great saved millions of livestock and wildlife. And us cowboys got a reprive from the dirty hot work doctoring infested animules.
However some farm/ranch hands didn't understand. One ole boy proudly told us all in town how he found a little box of 'dem screw worm flies' that didn't open when hit the ground from the plane. " I builds up a fire and BURNS dem dang SCREW WORM flies TO DEATH!!"
J D
- Sunday, December 09, 2012 at 18:17:44 (CST)

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Still having some warm weather here..but nothing like this summer was! Brings to mind back in the mid-70s....(Here he goes AGAIN!)
We had been working some cattle on the SNOGA ranch, which was west of (old)Calliham, Texas.
Had some finish up calf sorting out and such to do the next morning. I saddled up my horses early and me and the young 'cowgirl' took off riding that way whilist was still cool.
Things went well and we headed homeward about 1:30 in the evening. Terribly HOT by then. We rode alongside the highway this time.
Barely got 100 yards out of the Cattleguard gate when a small white business truck stopped along side us. A smiling driver man got out with a package and handing it to me said " Anybody working out in this HEAT deserves some ICE CREAM!!" It was a full box of ESKIMO PIES ice cream bars on sticks. We thanked the man. I realized we better EAT 'EM FAST 'fore they become watery milk! So me and the gal really stuffed ourselves going along the trail home. Had several gates to open on that nearly 2 mile ride in the blazing sun! Think there was a couple Ice cream bars left when we got back to my place..
Sure was a nice guy that give 'em to us!!
J D
- Monday, December 03, 2012 at 11:56:58 (CST)

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Well, if I had been back at the old ranch, I'd dug it out with the Bowie knife and poured Listerine from the big bottle on it. (or Tequila if ol' Bob had been there.)
Lefty, our cousin Jay Harris has some VERY INTERESTING stories to tell...if he ever gets time to write 'em down.
One pertains to David that killed the GIANT (who was of the NEPHILIM ancestory).
Another true story is about the fate of another David..Davy CROCKETT at the ALAMO.
I could tell em ..but he knows the correct 'data' etc.etc. Stay tuned (hopefully one day....)
J D
- Sunday, December 02, 2012 at 13:33:30 (CST)

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Back in the good old days, we didn't get pain-killers to pull a sticker out, JD. Momma would use a sewing needle, hold a match under it to kill the germs, and start picking the sticker out. We knew how to handle pain back then. My technique was to squirm and say "Ow! Ow! Ow!" It didn't help much, but that's all we had.
Lefty
- Sunday, December 02, 2012 at 10:32:19 (CST)

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Went to big city of BEEVILLE, TEXAS. Routine check up with skin doc. He freezes little rough spots that may become cancers and some are. Seemed like he 'froze' a ton of em on the sides of my face and hands. Found a big lump on my right hand. Said he would have to take a biopsy of that one.
So he gave it a couple deading shots then proceeded to cut a big hunk out of one side....suddenly a HUGE mesquite thorn jumped up like a jack in the box. Suprised us both!
A kid rode his paint hoss at my place. I noticed the back flank strap was tight. Guess he taught the hoss to put up with that. I remember back in the 70s, a young gal and I started off on horses to ride the grass field on that place. Barely got 75 yards when her hoss started pitching. She would be sent straight up in the air several feet and drop FLOP! right back in the saddle and sent off straight up again. "WHAT"S HE DOING !!!" she yelled.
"He's BUCKING you off ...the flank strap is TOO TIGHT!!" I replied.
More recently when I had two donkeys and a little mule boarding at my place. It come a cold wet spell. The animules hunkered up together in an old shed to keep dry. Guess they got bored of a day or so of that. After it cleared up and they left the shed, I found over a foot of wood missing from the leg of a wooden laddetr I had borrowed. They ate it. All my tools(axes, shovels,grubbing hoes etc.etc.) had been drug out in a mudhole in the road. The chains on the gate latches pulled off and scattered here and there. Think the little mule did most of that!
Had a John Deere ATV parked out there...they CHEWED up one of the seats and ruined it completely. Tore down the fiberboard target I had set up and ATE a big part of it!
Them little critters were regular DEVILS!!!
J D
- Thursday, November 29, 2012 at 09:39:42 (CST)

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Hope you all had a great thanksgiving. No leftovers at my house, I ate that whole can of sardines and two SNICKERS squares for dessert.
Had one email back on the 20th. A neighbor dropped by for a few minutes on the 21st. Gosh, I seem to be making friends where ever I go!
Saw some re-runs of old RIFLEMAN westerns and the great old MASH shows yesterday. Took dog for walks twice, fed the hoss snacks and today probably work on cleaning up an old 30-30 rifle. Awww...the life of a busy country squire.
J D
- Friday, November 23, 2012 at 05:03:37 (CST)

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Donna Hamilton's sister did a fine job painting the old TEXACO "fillin' station" (the main social & gossip center of 'old' Calliham) and painting the old iron bridge and swimming hole on the Frio river.
I don't remember a screen door on the old Texaco station. But it may have had one some time or other.
I remember how hot it was and an aging Stanley Sparks working so hard fixing truck and car tires without any modern tools. Just a primitive tire breaker and patch kit. How he had to beat and beat on a tire to break it from the rim using a heavy rubber headed hammer.
When the United Gas moved their operations out of Calliham, there went probably 2\3 the income that station brought in. Earlier when the Highway Dept. rerouted the highway to bypass Calliham, there went about half the income at that time. So, it was a hard go to realize much decent profit.
In the late '60s, some young cowboy types built a hitching rack beside the station to tie up their hosses and drink sodas and such. I used it several times along with my other ridin' friends. Sure miss those good times!!!
JD
- Monday, November 19, 2012 at 18:42:47 (CST)

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Got great photos from DONNA HAMILTON, of the Frio river iron bridge and the TEXACO STATION (old Calliham area)!!
Donna's grandad run the 'old fillin' station' for many, many years. MUY GRACIAS DONNA!!
J D



- Tuesday, November 06, 2012 at 09:01:28 (CST)

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