I Lost Another Uncle

Well, I lost another uncle.  This time it was my Uncle Robbie.  

Here’s what the obituary says:

Obituary for Robbie Randall McMillin

A celebration of life service for Robbie Randall McMillin, 88, of Jonesville, Louisiana will be held at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church on April 26, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. with Bro. Craig James, Bro. Dustin Robertson, and Bro. Lynell Hatten officiating. Interment will follow at Heard Cemetery in Manifest, Louisiana under the direction of Young’s Funeral Home. 

Robbie was born on October 14, 1927 in Catahoula Parish to Tolbert Roy McMillin and Lillie Hazel Terry. He passed away Saturday, April 23, 2016 at his home in Sandy Lake. 

He was a retired Gas Inspector for the State of Louisiana, owner and operator of the Lakeside Fish Finn. Robbie served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was a member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. His life revolved around his wife, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and a host of family and friends. 

He was preceded in death by his wife, Imogene (NeNe) Swayze McMillin; children, Randy McMillin and Janice Pritchard; grandchild, Jamie Pritchard; sisters, Maxine Gumbaravic, Irene Wiggins, Helen McMillin; and brother, Leroy McMillin. 

Survivors include: one sister, Margie Beasley; two brothers, Charlie McMillin and Terry McMillin; three daughters, Robbie Wilson and husband, Mike Wilson; Corrie Porter and husband, Bobby Porter; Mary King and husband, Ken King; one son, David McMillin and wife, Gayla; eighteen grandchildren, Elizabeth Spinks and husband, Denny; Jennifer Kinberger and husband, Robert; Nick Nicholson and wife, Cari Ann; Karen Richmond and husband, Kevin; James Porter and wife, Kelli; Corrie Davis and husband, Chris; Kristy King; Vanessa Graves and husband, Chris; Camille Charrier and husband, John Michael; Cliff Wilson and wife, Candy; Morgan Woods and husband, Will; Angela Neal and husband, Kyle; Dani Pendarvis and husband, Drew; Kelcey King; Davin Sullivan and husband, Matt; Justin Richmond; Chase McMillin; and Avery McMillin; twenty-six great-grandchildren; Carter Spinks, Cameron Spinks; Hunter Nicholson and wife, Jessica; Natalie Nicholson; Ali Kinberger; Emma Kinberger; Autumn Jackson; Blakely Porter; Addsion Porter; Taylor Neal; Kullen Neal; Rowyn Sullivan; Rilynn Sullivan; Roman Sullivan; Brooke Graves; Katheryn Graves; Gabriel Graves; Peyton Graves; Ava Wilson; Madeline Wilson; Austin Marceaux; Leila Marceaux; Eli Charrier; Davis Paul; Brandtly Davis; and Gahvin Davis. 

Pallbearers are grandsons and great-grandsons: Nick Nicholson, James Porter, Carter Spinks, Hunter Nicholson, Justin Richmond, Cameron Spinks, Chase McMillin, and Avery McMillin. 

Honorary Pallbearers include: Ken King, Mike Wilson, Bobby Porter, Robert Kinberger, Denny Spinks, Will Woods, Drew Pendarvis, Kyle Neal, Matt Sullivan, and Kevin Richmond.

Obituaries never tell the whole story of a person.  How could it.  There's always more to a person's life than the few words that try to say so much to so many.

But as I read it I was immediately reminded of the first time I can ever recall seeing him.  I was probably about five years old.  He had just returned home from World War II, and was lucky enough to get a job at the ice house in Jonesville, Louisiana.  

Mama and Daddy were living in Jonesville too because I remember stopping by the ice house sometimes when Mama and me would walk down to Brown Brothers store where Daddy was working, or as he told me later in life, ‘learning the grocery and meat business.’

Anyway, when we stopped at the ice house we always ended up with a piece of ice to suck on.  It tasted good and it was cold.  Apparently, that was enough to keep me happy back then.

One time, Uncle Robbie took me for a tour of the plant in back where they made the ice.  He talked about how the ice was being made but it just went in and out of my head, mostly because I was mesmerized by seeing water turn into huge blocks of ice.  When the ice was ready, someone would lower some big ice tongs down into the vat and grab onto the ice.  Then as if by magic the ice would rise and then be moved over to a room where it was kept cold. 

And the hole where the ice came out started filling with water again, just like magic.

I stayed there a long  time with him one day and watched how people would come up and say they wanted to buy some ice.  Some just wanted a dime’s worth, which was about the size of his hand.  Others wanted large pieces that might cost a whole dollar.  But most just wanted about a quarter’s worth, or as the customers would say, "About two bits worth."

The reason I’m mentioning the size is because of the way that huge piece of ice that came out of the hole, was dragged out and quickly chipped away with an ice pick to the size the person wanted.  My eyes almost popped out as I watched that ice pick, pick away at the ice, almost always into a perfect square and size for the money.

But that was nothing after I saw what they did to a big block of ice when the customer wanted it crushed.  Uncle Robbie would chip out just what the customer wanted and then toss it into a big machine that turned it into small pieces, scaring the daylights out of me with the noise it made.

One time Uncle Robbie asked me if I wanted to go deliver ice to folks out in the hills near Manifest.  Mama said I could go and all I could remember about Manifest was a spring where Mama and Daddy and me always stopped for water.  It was cool there under those trees by the spring.

Only we didn’t stop at the spring.  That old rickety ice truck with a load of ice in the back under a tarp just passed it up.  We went way back in the hills around Manifest, places I had never been, stopping now and then at people’s houses to deliver ice to them.

Most of the time, there wasn’t anyone around and he would take a chunk of ice inside and place it in an ice box.  There would be a dine or sometimes a quarter on the table and Uncle Robbie would take it back to the ice house and turn it in to somebody.  We would ride around in those hills all day and stopping a lot to deliver ice, so there were a lot of dimes and quarters to take back. 

Sometimes there would be a letter to be mailed and a nickle for a stamp.  And sometimes there would be a slice of pie sitting there.  He would take out his pocket knife and cut it in half and always give me the bigger half.

I noticed that sometimes the dime size pieces of ice were larger than he sold at the ice house but I figured he had a reason for giving them more than a dime’s worth.  I think it was because they were real poor.  My Daddy did stuff like that too when he opened his own grocery store.  I learned later in life that there’s some who really appreciate being nice to like that, but there’s also some who kinda grow to expect it and will get mad when they don’t get it.

Later on Uncle Robbie had a gas station about a block from the ice house.  I liked the smell of the gas and how he would sell people a quarter’s worth of gas and put air in their tires and clean their windshield and lights, check their oil and even sweep out the floorboard if they wanted. 

It was about twenty years later that I went to work for him one summer while on break from LSU.  He worked for a butane company and said he needed some help.  I didn’t know anything about the butane business but he figured I’d learn soon enough.  The first thing I learned was that there was no training program of any kind. He just gave me the keys to the service truck and turned me loose.  I guess he knew I was mechanically inclined and figured if being ‘self taught’ about the butane business was good enough for him, it should be good enough for me.

The second thing I learned about the Butane business is that it’s endless hard work with a considerable amount of danger thrown in to make it more interesting.  Going back to LSU was a little easier to take when that summer job ended.  But I'll never forget it.

We rarely saw each other after that, but when we did meet and talk a bit, it was like he still had that natural presence about him that demanded respect.  I still do.   

Goodbye Uncle Robbie.

The FLOOD

In case you're interested, we’re still high and dry here after the latest storm, mostly because the rain finally moved on.  

The sun even came out yesterday afternoon.  Up until it came out, we were both numb from all the negative news we kept hearing and seeing on our computer and then later the TV as reporters began to venture into the flooded areas.

A LOT of areas are flooded, some that had never been close to being flooded.  I’m betting there are at least 10,000 cars flooded, many completely under water.  And some of these cars are in apartment complexes, million dollar home areas, and shopping mall parking lots where people tried to get their cars to safety.  The water just kept rising and rising because the creeks and bayous could not handle that much water.

A national news organization reported that some areas of Houston got 16” of rain in 24 hours.  I can believe it.  According to the National Weather Service, we got between 7” and 8” here before the second front came through,  and about 5 miles west of us got 10”  After the final band of rain roared through dropping another 2" on us, we probably hit 10" total.  Here's the rain amount chart from the National Weather Service.  We live in the circle just above Houston.

And the image does not even come close to showing the rising water that flooded neighborhoods that never flood.

Click HERE and you can see some videos of the flooding.

We stayed home, but a neighbor ventured out and pretty much found herself blocked from even getting out of our neighborhood.  Even if she did get out, most businesses were closed.  Oddly, our Target store just up the street was open, but I’m betting even it shut down due to lack of staff and lack of business.  Most people in our area just stayed home.

Damage assessments will surely be in the Billions of Dollars, but they won’t know until it’s over so that damage estimators can get into areas.  Right now, they are just doing it by ‘guesstiment’ by taking areas and determining approximately how many homes, businesses, etc were inundated by how much water.  Then applying some formula to come up with an approximate amount.  Even then, it’s not an exact science.  

Plus, when they start to re-build, there will all kinds of additional charges due to lack of manpower, equipment and materials.  The delay creates a problem for black mold development which can greatly multiply the costs due to its toxic nature.  Mold, by law, has to be completely eradicated and inspected before any repairs can begin.  There’s not enough mold treatment technicians and inspectors in the US, much less Houston, to get the job done quickly.

Add to that the long term effects of the flood regarding re-sale value of property and flooded cars, and the drop in property taxes due to homes being declared unfit for human habitation, and must be torn down, usually because the owners had no insurance of any kind, much less flood insurance.

When you take everything into account, it could be a Trillion Dollar Storm.

To make matters worse, one very highly regarded TV news anchor/reporter said that no matter what the government says about ‘flood zones’ and ‘100 year flood exempt zones’ that any property in Harris County is susceptible to flooding, and owners (like us) really should buy flood insurance from the government. 

Well, that’s unnerving to say the least, especially after we purposely built on high ground 27 years ago.  Even so, being 90 miles from the Gulf and 110’ elevation will certainly keep us from getting flooded from the Gulf of Mexico, while our house is built on the highest point in our area will keep us from getting rain-flooded.  Unless, of course, God is out to get us.  Then it probably won’t make much difference.

As of today, 4-21-16, the rain is over for a while, but not the flooding.

Once again, the Coop held up well in the 50 + mph winds and suspected tornado in the area, and although it got pretty wet from the horizontal rain, I was able to wipe it down without seeing any damage.  

For us, it was just another storm, but for tens of thousands of people, it was a disaster they may never recover from.

A Growing Problem At The Chicken Ranch

Ever since the Mini-Max came out, I've wanted one. But since "Patience" is one of my middle names, I have waited and waited and waited, all the while seeing the cooks done by the early Mini-Max'ers. The photos they shared definitely stretched my patience to the limit. But I've always managed to work through it.

That is until the Athens Eggfest...

Yes, we came home with a Mini-Max.

But now what! That now makes 6 'Girls' working here at the Chicken Ranch. And there's just not enough room to put 'em all.

There's Lily Large, Shirley Small, Maggie Mini, Lulu Large, Lola Large, and now Molly Mini.

It's nice to have at least one of the 'Girls' working, even two at the same time, but there's little chance that all 6 of the 'Girls' will be working at the same time, no matter how big the party is.

Plus, the Coop just wasn't built for a half dozen 'Chicks' to have their own nesting place.

The Ranch Madam, suggested we send two or three of them packing. But they're like 'flock' here. I would hate to lose any of them. Even Lily, circa 1999, with her wrinkled and broken body, is still a favorite when it comes to providing the ultimate in entertainment. She knows what she's doing. She also serves as an inspiration to the others who look up to her as a "Mother Hen" figure.

Shirley Small was the next "Girl" to start working here. She was and still is very popular with smaller customers. Still is.

Maggie Mini came next. And she has served the Ranch well. She quickly established herself as the Go-To 'Girl' when all you want is a quickie for mid-day, or even late night.

Lulu Large sorta just turned up here by accident. She was supposed to work out of our New Orleans branch, but an opportunity came along for a new 'Girl' to be assigned there, leaving Lulu here. She's done well here and more than paid her own way.

Lola Large is the result of Lily's many problems. She came here with absolutely no EGGsperience but was quickly accepted by the other 'Girls' and established herself as more of an 'All Purpose' member. Her customers have all turned out great. She even moved into the coveted space where Lily Large worked for many years.

Lily, as some of you know, went through extensive cosmetic surgery that required a considerable amount of change to both her appearance and ability to perform. She was moved outside the Coop to accommodate her wishes to live out her life as a 'Free Range Girl.' She loves the freedom to come and go as she pleases, although she hasn't moved from her nest in months. Rarely working these days, she still gets fired up easily and does a respectable job of servicing a customer.

And now there's Molly Mini...



The challenges of running a Chicken Ranch are sometimes difficult, but I wouldn't change my job for any other. It's always fun here...

Spring "Six Eggs For A Three Egg Recipe" Chicken

Spring Texas USA

Athens Eggfest 2016 Was Wonderful

It never ceases to amaze me just how much fun can be had when everything goes right at an Eggfest.

As complicated and difficult to plan and coordinate with so many people as Eggfest are, plus all the gear and demo Eggs and weather to contend with, it's not something the weak of heart wants to take on. Unless you are a "Cook" or "Taster" you will have to be physically fit and brain-waves working overtime to pull it off.

And 'Pull it Off' they did last weekend.  It was wonderful from start to finish.  I took no photos at all this year.  But others did and they are sharing them on the various forums.

Every one of the six years of the Athens Eggfest has been bigger and better than the previous years. This one was no exception.  Here's a quick summary:

Most Attendees
Most funds raised
Most Eggs sold
Most Cooks cooking
Most Servings handed out
Most Wonderful treats ever
Most Fun ever...

It was wonderful!

We'll be back next year.

Oh, and we came home with a Mini-Max Egg.  She's already assembled and in the Coop waiting for me to make a place for her.  Her name is Molly Mini-Max.

Right now, the Chicken Ranch has six 'Working Girls' all just chomping at the bit to cook something.

I'm working on it.

Next one is the Texas Eggfest in Austin on April 30th, followed by the Space City Eggfest in Houston on May 21st. Both will have hundreds of attendees, if not thousands.  We'll be working our tail-feathers off over the next six weeks.

And it's worth ever minute of it.

Magnum Loads vs. Howitzer Rounds

Before I start with this post, it's not about guns or cannons.  It's about food.

As you know, Judy and I are avid fans of the Big Green Egg ceramic smoker and grill.  We are also among a continuously growing number of Eggheads (the name we BGE owners call ourselves) around the world.

We Eggheads like to gather from time to time at Eggfests around the country where we can enjoy meeting our fellow Eggheads and people who are interested in learning more about the Big Green Egg.

At these Eggfests, a number of us cook and serve samples of various foods, mostly bite-size morsels, that will give the Taster an opportunity to not only taste something cooked on the Egg, but also talk to the Cooks about the food and any other questions they may have about the Egg.  It's a lot of fun for everyone, especially us Cooks.  Judy and I have been to almost 75 Eggfests and Egg related events over the years and will continue to do so as long as we can.

We try to cook and serve something that will be unique and tasty.  Other Cooks do the same.  We really want the Tasters to go home with a "Wow!" feeling, and perhaps become Eggheads themselves.

One of the more popular items that we cook is what we call Magnum Loads. When I describe it, you will quickly see why we named it Magnum Loads. From a healthy food standpoint, it's a 'killer' and that's probably why everyone likes them.

We start with a 1" section of smoked sausage, bore a hole through it end to end, insert a Little Smokey cocktail sausage, wrap that with a generous handful of pork sausage, and then wrap all of it with bacon.  Then cook on the Egg until done and serve.  Yes!  It it delicious.  Here are some photos of them being made and ready to be served.

This year I wanted to try a variation of this same treat, so I came up with something I call Howitzer Rounds.  These little jewels are initially made larger but are then sliced thin for serving.  Like this:

I also made a video of the process so anyone can try it.  It's simple enough to make and you can actually cook it on your own grill, or even in your oven.  Here's the YouTube link:  Howitzer Rounds

We'll be cooking and serving a few hundred of the slices at the upcoming Athens Eggfest this weekend in Athens, Texas.  Athens Eggfest 2016

I'm sure we will have them again at the Texas Eggfest in Austin on April 30th and the Space City Eggfest in Houston on May 21st.

The tickets are well worth the price and the money goes to a worthy cause.  So come on out.  You will be glad you did.

Fence Project Update

The "Mending Fences" project posted a days back is coming along nicely.  We're in no special hurry to finish it, but it would be nice to be through before the heat of Summer hits.

Judy has been a tremendous help.  I actually think she could finish the project herself.  The only thing she hasn't done so far is move the heavy compressor from the garage and use the nail gun to drive the nails in place.  Her Mom would cringe at the thought of her little girl building a fence of all things.

We've decided to just take it a couple of sections at a time instead of making a major commitment to finish up quickly at the expense of our health and comfort.  And it appears that we only have maybe three or four more sections that really need repairing due to rotting rails.  From there on the sections all appear to be in good shape.  I seem to remember repairing that section just a few years ago when we had some strong winds come through.

Fortunately, most of the pickets are okay.  It's just the rotten rails.  The rails are 'supposed' to be pressure treated, but apparently they are using a very weak solution of whatever it is they use to treat them.  I think Lowe's and Home Depot are being sold junk, and it won't become apparent to us until a few short years later when they start to rot prematurely.  How do you go back to Lowes or Home Depot and say, "Those $&#@ pressure-treated 2 X 4's you sold me six years ago are already rotting! What are you gonna do about it?"

Anyway, it's coming together slowly but surely, and should be in good shape for at least the next ten years or so.

Oh, and since I can't see well enough to drive nails with a hammer, especially the bottom rows, I'm using my pneumatic nailer.  No, not the big framing nailer (I gave that to Dave because he knows how to use it better than me), but my brad nailer.  Yes, my 18 gauge brad nailer.  It not only works great using 18 gauge, 1¼" galvanized brads, but they don't show the ugly nail heads like nails do. They hold the boards securely to the rails, but even if a destructive wind comes along again, it will probably do no more than just blow some pickets off without damaging them or the rails.  Then it's just a matter of  nailing them back in place.  But so far, they appear to be holding as good as the nails.

I also took the liberty of tying my fence posts to the cemetery's chain-link fence to give it more strength to remain plumb in high winds, which seem to be more frequent lately.

Anyway, we're on track and we're proud of our progress.

3-27-16 Finished...

Salado Eggfest 2016 Was Great

In spite of some really serious rain right up to the day of the Salado Eggfest this year, and some changes in the location and organizers, it turned out to be a very nice event.

We probably had only about a quarter of the attendees as in previous years, but considering the fact that much of the state of Texas was under water and still getting rained on, that's pretty darn good.

Speaking of 'good' the Cooks this year went overboard with great food.  And they kept it up even at the After Party.  I can't remember enjoying so much good food at an Eggfest.

Anyway, the new venue for this year's Salado Eggfest was held at The Venue instead of Pace Park as in years past.  It was a bit muddy (to be expected after all the rain) but when the sun broke through later in the day, it was clearly a beautiful site for an Eggfest.

And, of course, the famous Salado Eggfest After Party, was great.

Everyone is looking forward to next year.

Another Medical Scare With A Happy Ending

Having had a number of serious medical issues in my life, I’m careful to take ‘health-signals’ seriously.  As such, I visit my collection of doctors regularly, and for the most part, do as they tell me.

Possibly the only exception to their recommendations comes in the form of food intake and exercise.  I do enjoy eating good food.  And over the years I have taken up cooking as a hobby in order to at least try to prepare the most enjoyable food I can get.  I’ve become quite good at it too.

And I don’t mind exercising when I feel like doing them.  Sometimes I just can’t muster the strength to do the exercises.  It really has more to do with my lifestyle and energy levels.  But I do stay busy doing work that could be equal to or greater effort than just routine exercises.

And therein lies the problem of my being somewhat overweight.  And, as we are constantly reminded, being ‘somewhat overweight’ lends itself to potential medical issues.  So I try to do right by my diet in spite of the many temptations far and wide, and from my own kitchen.

During my regularly scheduled quarterly visit to my primary care doctor, he went over all the blood test numbers, weight, blood pressure, my own logs covering daily blood pressure and weight readings, and the results of my own self-administered tests for blood-sugar levels.  He is always complementary of my record keeping and efforts, and was quite pleased with my blood test results.

That, along with the usual listening to my heart/lungs sounds, resulted in his giving me a ‘thumbs up’ evaluation.

Then he asked if I had anything else we needed to discuss.  So I casually mentioned some chest pains that I had been having over the past couple of days, which I attributed to a possible muscle strain while repairing our fence (I lifted a very heavy air compressor to move closer to the project).  Or perhaps due to indigestion.  The pain was generally in the area of the heart but down and over a bit, so neither he nor I thought it was my heart.

But, knowing that I had a heart attack in the past (9 years before), he took the precautionary step of recommending an EKG.  I was, as always, receptive to his suggestions.  I’m not going to take any unnecessary chances with my life, especially when it comes to my doctor’s advice.

The EKG showed an irregular heartbeat.  Not much but noticeable.  He suggested that I see my cardiologist before the month was out just in case. My wife quickly replied that we would see him today if we could schedule the appointment.  So he gave us a copy of the MRI chart to take with us.

We went straight to my cardiologist’s office.  He was out but expected to arrive later.  They called him and he quickly agreed to see me at the end of the day after his other appointments.  Four hours later, we were back.

He first said he has known about my irregular heartbeat since my heart attack nine years earlier, but it was not all that unusual and was not causing any problems, so it wasn’t likely to be the problem of my chest pain.  But he could not precisely determine the source of the pain and strongly suggested that I undergo further testing to make sure it was not heart related.

So he made the arrangement s for me to check into Memorial Healthcare’s Woodlands Hospital that very evening.  He instructed them to perform a variety of tests during the night, with more complex tests the following day, if warranted.  The additional tests included a stress test.  It was not a ‘treadmill’ test as before, but a chemically induced stress test which basically caused my heart to go into a simulated stress that is very similar to the stress of the treadmill.  I found this fascinating, to say the least.

There were X-rays, injections of isotopes and sonograms and constant blood samples, followed by my being heart being ‘imaged’ by a giant machine similar to an MRI machine. 

By then I was starting to worry that perhaps he wasn’t telling me everything.  But as the test results began to come in, it was becoming increasingly clear that there had been no heart attack, and that I was fine and could return home as soon as the paperwork was finished.

What a relief! Now to Denny's.  I was hungry...

He called me later and we talked about it.  He said for me to enjoy my weekend in Salado Texas where we would be joining a number of our friends to cook for a large crowd of people to demonstrate the Big Green Egg, our favorite cooking device ever. 

There’s a lot to be said about taking care of yourself.  But in my mind, it’s even more important to have doctors who genuinely want to help you have a good life.

Update: 3-21-16

As instructed, I had a two-week follow-up visit with my cardiologist.  He checked me over good and said everything was "perfect."  My heart is strong, and although my blood pressure was up when they checked it, he wasn't even the slightest bit worried about it.

He laughed and laughed when I told him that Judy is telling everyone there's absolutely nothing wrong with me that a good bowel movement couldn't fix.  He agreed with her...

So we came home and tore down two more sections of the fence we're repairing.  It's good to be able to do some physical work without the fear of having a heart attack or something.

2016 Eggfest Season is Here

As I've said many times, one of the great joys of being an Egghead is getting together with other Eggheads.

Sometimes it's just joining some friends for a night out or a small party, but no matter the size of the group, we all have a good time hanging with each other.

Of course, the best way to get to see a lot of Eggheads in one place is to attend an Eggfest.  They are pretty much everywhere in the country and in some foreign countries now, so finding one to go to is easy.

Heck, we have five Eggfests in Texas alone each year.  They include:

Salado Eggfest in Salado, Texas March 12th
Athens Eggfest in Athens, Texas April 9th
Texas Eggfest in Driftwood, Texas April 30th
Space City Eggfest in Spring, Texas May 21st
Jefferson Eggfest in Jefferson, Texas October 8th

So we will definitely be busy and enjoying every moment of it.

Hope to see you at and Eggfest.

Mending Fences

Judy and I have been mending fences again.  No, not between old friends.  I mean 'fences' as in privacy fences to protect us from sight and sound and critters and bad people.

The fence between us and the cemetery behind our house began to fall apart, mostly due to rotting rails and rot boards.  The posts and most of the pickets are still good.

We had a storm come through last year and blew over some sections but knowing that we would eventually have to replace the entire fence, we just pushed and propped it back in place.  It was a temporary measure for sure, but it worked until we took down the damaged section (about 30') and rebuilt it late last year.

Then a couple of weeks ago we had some really strong winds that pushed over another section.  So out came the tools again.  We took down another 30', salvaged as many pickets as possible and installed new rot boards and rails.

Today we installed the pickets.  They were pretty easy

Another section done.  It will have to work until we get ready to take on the next section.  Maybe in another week.  I sure hope the weather is like it is now.  Perfect for Fence Mending and we have another 110' feet to go.

This Is The Year I Turn Seventy Five

When I was a kid, I used to think 75 years was a long time.  Ancient history in fact.  Apparently not, because I will soon turn 75 and I don't feel 'ancient.'  I do have some aches and pains, and a few missing parts that I accumulated over those years, but compared to others, I'm in pretty good shape and I still enjoy life.

There were times during those years that I wondered what the hell I was thinking when I did some of the things I did.  As much as I would like to take some back, it's not possible, so I won't dwell on it.

But while thinking back, I mentally assessed my lot in life and concluded that it has been a good one. I didn't have to kill or harm anyone, and as far as I know, no one tried to kill or harm me.  I've had a loving family, a wonderful childhood, some interesting and exciting adventures I would have never dreamed of, I've met a lot of people, made a lot of friends, and learned a lot about myself and the world about me.  In fact, I learned to enjoy learning, and I try hard to learn something new every day, regardless of whether I will use the information or not.  It makes me happy just learning it, and that's enough.

I definitely married well.  Judy Alethia Conrad McMillin.  I can't imagine life without her.

We took serious the vows we made to each other over 40 years ago, and it has been a wonderful life together ever since.  I can say the same about the family I inherited when we married.  They are all good people.

I keep thinking that one day I will win the Lottery or my ship will come in or some long lost relative will leave me a lot of money.  I know it's just wishful thinking but there are times when I wish I was rich enough to repay everyone who made me happy.  Perhaps they could use the money to add to their own happiness.  It's a good feeling.

The good thing about being 75 is that it's just a date and not a reflection of how young I feel.  Because I feel great...

Eggfest Season 2016 is upon us

One of the great joys of being an Egghead (any Big Green Egg owner) is to gather with other Eggheads from time to time to see old friends, make new friends, share recipes, and just enjoy being with each other as we cook and share our wonderful treats with each other.

But years ago, those little gatherings began to grow and take on an atmosphere of wishing other people could join us to see for themselves what Egging is all about.

Invitations went out to come join us at our next Eggfest and the response was wonderful.  People couldn't wait to attend.  And many of them became Eggheads too after just one visit.  Others moved owning a Big Green Egg to the top of their "I Want One Of Those" list.

Here we are three decades later and Eggfests are now being held all over the US and some foreign countries.  It's not unusual to see hundreds, if not thousands, of attendees spending a few hours tasting food, asking questions and generally enjoying themselves at an Eggfest.  Many of them take advantage of discounted 'Demo Eggs' that were used to cook on for the first time at the Eggfest.  And while their memories are fresh, these new Egg owners are able to fire up their Egg on their own patio and cook some of those delightful treats for their friends and family.

There are many Eggfests scheduled far and wide, but here in Texas, we have four.

The first one is April 9th in Athens Texas at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.  Judy and I, along with a bunch of our Egghead friends, old ones and new ones, will be cooking until we run out of stuff to cook.

The next one is the Texas Eggfest on April 30th at Camp Ben McCullough in Driftwood Texas.

Then the very first Eggfest in Houston, appropriately named, Space City Eggfest, will be held on May 21st in Old Town Spring, Texas.

Then the last one of the season will be held in Jefferson Texas on October 8th or 15th (confirmation of the date is pending).

They are a lot of fun and well worth attending if you like good food and wish to know more about ceramic cooking.

See you at an Eggfest soon.

First Meal of the New Year

I'm a breakfast person. So when it comes to my first choice for my very first meal on a new year, breakfast is it. 

And since we renewed our diet vows for 2016, we are sticking to food that is good for us, with a small amount slack given to the holiday spirit. 

I cooked one of the most delicious 4-egg omelets ever. Peppers, green onions, mushrooms, shredded habanero cheese and smoked turkey ham. 

There was just enough of the cheese (maybe two heaping tablespoons) to give it a nice kick and cheesy flavor but not enough to confess a culinary sin for it. 

But the smoked turkey ham took center stage for flavor. It was not only delicious by itself, but it enhanced the flavors of everything else. There was probably 3/4 cup of it chopped to 1/4" size. 

So if you resolved to lose a few pounds in 2016 you might consider smoking a Jennie-O Turkey Ham to substitute for bacon and sausage. 

Here's mine on the Egg after about 2 hours indirect @ 225°-250° using a couple of chunks of post oak smoking wood off to the side of the fire. 

 

And don't be tempted to eat it immediately after taking it off the Egg. Wrap it in multiple layers of plastic wrap and let it do its thing in the refrigerator for at least overnight. Two days would be even better. I suspect three days would be even better but I've never been able to wait that long. 

Oh, and slice some of it really thin to put on Romaine leaves with a small amount of lite mayo or sauce to make a really great wrap for lunch. Two of them will fix you right up. 

You're welcome. Happy New Year... 

Spring "Starting Off Right" Chicken 
Spring Texas USA

Christmas 2015 is in the Books

Once again, we traveled to New Orleans, this time for Christmas and birthdays.  We left on Wednesday, hoping to be one day ahead of the traffic.  It worked and we made it all the way to the base of the Baton Rouge bridge before we came to stop/go/stop/go traffic.  We inched our way over to the other side and was back at freeway speeds all the way to the exit for our hotel on Williams Boulevard.  The girl behind the desk remembered us and moved us up to a higher floor.  At least being on the top floor we wouldn't have people stomping around overhead all night.

A few minutes later we were at Joyce and Allen's house and he Christmas celebrations began.

Yes, there were gifts and thank-you's galore, and way too much food that somehow got eaten anyway.

We also go to see our extended family on Christmas day when we all met at Michele and David's house for food and frolic.  Michelle's family is very large and I think all were there.  More gifts, of course.

We ate a lot, then some more, and kept eating until late Sunday when we finally relaxed in our hotel a few hours before heading out just minutes after a really strong storm blew through the city.  Six hours later we were safely home and very tired.

As of today we are back on our diets and hope to end 2015 with some pounds lost.  Looking good so far.

My Sweetie's New Bike

One of the great joys in my life is to see my Sweetie smile.

Yesterday, she had one more reason to smile and I captured it on the cell phone.

Here she is taking her first ride on her new bike.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4yf6nONw-w

It's absolutely wonderful to be in love with such a happy person.

The Door Project

As many of you know, Judy is into stained glass and has been for many years.  She's very good at it and has made a lot of stained glass pieces in all sizes and shapes.  Each seems to be more beautiful than the last one as her skills and experience grows.

So it was no surprise a few years ago that she made the beveled glass panel for our front door.  It was beautiful and greatly improved the front appearance of our home.  It has held up well over the years.

A few days ago a neighbor brought their old stained glass door over and basically said, "Here, do what you want with it."  They had already replaced it due to some glass breakage which they could not repair.  Nor did they want to pay for someone to repair the broken glass, which could run into the hundreds of dollars.

We quickly saw the extent of the damage and our first thought was to just break out the remainder of the glass and salvage what we could.  But old stained glass is often brittle and does not cut well.  So that part was 'iffy' at best.  But there were a number of beveled glass pieces that appeared to be in pretty good shape.  So maybe those could be salvaged.  For what, we didn't know.

So we looked at the damaged pieces and thought, "Why not see if we can repair it first?"

We had never taken on a repair mission like this and we both knew it would not be easy.

There was lead came (the lead that outlines each piece of stained and beveled glass to form the pattern) that needed to be removed and replaced along with new glass.  But the damage was entirely inside the frame that surrounded the glass panel.  How on earth could we install new lead came with new glass in all the broken places when they were in the center of the panel?

So we went to YouTube and watched a lot of experienced and inexperienced stained glass people do what we wanted to do.  Some made it look easy and some made it look difficult.  So we tried the easy ones first.  And when that didn't work, we tried the hard ones.  When that didn't work either, we were left to our own devices.  We had to come up with something that worked or toss the door altogether.

Through a lot of trial and error, we finally figured out a way to repair it.  It took us about five days to do it but we were finally finishing what we started.  Just as we were laying in the final piece of glass, we heard a crrrraaaaacccckkkk.  %&#!  The stresses we were putting on the glass was apparently too much and another piece broke, then another.  It was obvious that these broken pieces needed to be repaired in order to even try to sell the door, hopefully for enough to recover our growing glass and lead costs. not to mention the time we had put into it.

This is where Judy's skills and experience paid off.  She tried a new idea and it worked.  And within a few hours we were ready to begin the grouting process to seal the individual pieces of glass into the lead came.  We did the entire panel rather than the ones we repaired.

That done, I sanded down the wood and applied two coats of stain, followed by three applications of spar varnish.  The door was starting to look really good.

Then we cleaned the glass and lead came really good.  Finally, we applied a chemical to the lead came that evened out the patina in the areas where we had to solder the new lead came in place.

Now it looked really good.  That's when we decided to sell it.  It took a while but we finally got an offer of about half what we were asking for it.  The lady didn't have much money so we said okay because it was enough to cover our expenses, plus some which we shared with the neighbor who gave us the door.

It was a challenge for sure, but also fun.  And we learned a lot.  But we won't be doing that again...

Here's the finished door.

Back on the Diet

For some reason, about three months ago my weight started to climb and climb and climb, seemingly for no reason at all, unless you take into account the fact that I got into a bread making frenzy for a few of those weeks.

I suppose you could also include us trying some new restaurants and dishes here at home.  And there was that Blue Bell Ice Cream we just had to have after they got back up and running.

Anyway, I noticed that my blood pressure was steadily climbing.  I check my blood pressure daily and it didn't take long to see that some blood pressure checks showed it 40 or more points above my normal pressure of below 120/60.

On top of that, I had no energy, couldn't stay awake during the day, couldn't sleep at night, couldn't think straight, had very little strength and just didn't feel good.  My feet and ankles were swollen quite a bit and I felt bloated all over.

Two weeks ago today, 10-27-15, Judy came in and said she was worried about me and announced that we were going back on our diet.  More specifically, the South Beach Diet that had helped us lose weight in the past.  I didn't argue.  I knew she was right.

So that day, we gave away and tossed everything that could be too tempting for us during the next critical two weeks of Phase I of the diet.  Then we started trying to eat exactly or very close to the items shown in Phase I.  Naturally, it contained a lot of bushes and chicken, but actually it wasn't that bad.  The idea was to ween us off carbs.  After about 3 days I wasn't even missing my bread and bacon.

I immediately started losing weight, typically about two pounds a day, sometimes more.  I knew that most of that loss was water but because I started feeling better, I really didn't care what I was losing.

Meanwhile, my doctor had cautioned me that being overweight could put me at risk for diabetes.  He said my Blood Glucose numbers were running a little higher than he would like to see them.  And if I didn't do something about it I could reach the stage of being considered 'Pre-Diabetic.'

So rather than wait three months between my quarterly blood tests, I decided to invest in my own Blood Glucose test device.  I wanted a good one so I did some research and ended up with one that has a good reputation for accuracy.  I bought the kit which included the other items necessary to do the tests.  I purchased enough to do 200 tests.

I also read up on diabetes.  I thought it was something you came down with because of eating too much sugar.  Surprise! Surprise!  It's not like that at all, but it does have a great deal to do with when and what we eat, how active we are and many other factors, including testing conditions, time between meals, etc.

With this increased knowledge I decided to test myself periodically throughout the day in order to get some idea what happens before and after I eat, before and after I do some strenuous work, etc.  I was amazed at how it changes throughout the day.  But more importantly, it dawned on me why my lab test numbers every three months were higher than the doctor would like them to be.

The lab test is a fasting test, meaning nothing to eat after midnight.  The lab didn't open until 7:30 am and I liked to be the first or second in line so I could get it over with and have my coffee and a big breakfast.  So to stave off the hunger pangs for the shortest period of time, I slept as long as I could on test day, proceeded directly to to the lab to get in line, and got it over with.

As it turns out, testing too soon after waking will give a poor indication of your blood sugar levels. The reason: our body senses when you wake up and gives us a jolt of glucose to get us started.  That jolt of glucose takes a while to settle down to normal.  Sometimes it could take two or more hours, depending on a lot of factors.

So I decided to test myself under the same conditions the lab tests me: fasting but with at least two hours after waking.  But first I wanted to see what happened if I did the test within an hour of waking.  As expected, they were high.  So I tried again two hours after waking and they were lower and mostly within the guidelines.  After that, the results were normal each and every time I tested myself.
Following that logic for my next lab test won't be hard to do since I usually wake at 5:00 am anyway. That will be at least two and a half hours after I wake up.  The numbers will probably be perfect.

I can't wait to talk to my doctor about this new revelation.

So now that I'm armed with all this information, I only need to do one more thing, and that is to add my exercise program back into the equation.  I'm feeling strong enough and energetic enough to start it now, so as soon as I finish this post I'm hitting the treadmill and the Total Gym.  I'll keep doing that every day, gradually increasing the incline and speed on the treadmill and the resistence on the Total Gym.  Just doing those exercises will help me replace the muscle loss from sitting on my ass for a year, and give me more stamina to do the things I want to do.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that when I weighed in first thing this morning I was down 18.8 pounds from the weigh-in two weeks ago.  That equals to over 1.3 pounds a day.  I'm pretty proud of that.

Henry Arthur Taliaferro, Jr. - RIP

I learned Sunday that I lost yet another of my childhood friends, Henry Arthur Taliaferro, Jr.

On formal occasions, he was known as Henry Arthur, but when formality isn't necessary, we called him HAT.

Somewhere around age 14 the friendship expanded to 'buddies.'  That kind of relationship meant that we hung out together a lot.  He lived just down the street from me.  The fact that he had a Willis Jeepster made being buddies even more fun because we could put a quarter's worth of gas in it and head to Hawthorn's Creek where there was a wonderfully cool swimming hole.

And sometimes we would even go to Jonesville where we could shoot pool in a real pool hall.  He always won and I didn't care.  He was my buddy.

Small town life went on and the two of us found ourselves as college students at Northeast Louisiana College in Monroe.  It was my first real 'away-from-home' experience.  We both liked to have fun so our academic efforts didn't pan out well.  

But I had joined the ROTC and really enjoyed being a Soldier, such as it was on a college campus. So we came to the conclusion that maybe we would be better off going into the Army.  Next thing we knew we were in Shreveport getting physicals and taking day-long tests.  We both scored high on the tests and the recruiter wanted us to fly to Dallas to speak with his boss.  That's where we learned about the Army Security Agency, the Army's version of the National Security Agency.  We liked what we heard and within hours we were on a bus headed north to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri for basic training. It was February 29th, 1960.  There was snow on the ground as we crossed into Oklahoma and all the way to Fort Leonard Wood.  There was still snow on the ground when we completed Basic Training eight weeks later.

We had joined the Army on the 'Buddy Plan.' We learned later that the Buddy Plan was some fictitious recruiting tool the Army used with great success. 

The two of us went back home to Louisiana to say our goodbyes one last time. Then we caught a train to Boston and a bus to Ayer, Massachusetts, near Fort Devens, ASA's training base.

A couple of days later Henry Arthur was given orders to Arlington Hall Station, ASA's Headquarters near the Pentagon where he would become an MP. He served there until his enlistment was over in 1963. I remained at Fort Devens and completed 058 and 055 schools before our entire class was sent to Fort Bragg in late 1960.

I only saw HAT one time while in the Army.  It was during the Summer of 1960 when I hitched a ride down from Fort Devens to DC and met him. He gave me the tour of the small, campus-like base. I was envious to say the least.

We never really got to see much of each other after that. We returned home after our enlistments were up in February 1963. He eventually took a job at the bank, married and settled into a comfortable, small town life. I decided that small town life just wasn't for me so I joined the Navy in December 1965 and was eventually ordered to the Philippines.  I remained there until I was discharged two years later.

I think Henry Arthur and I may have seen each other three or four times after that.

It was sad to learn that he died. He was only 76 years old. 

In my mind he was still my 'Buddy' in spite of the miles and years between us.

Jefferson Eggfest

Wow! What a difference a year makes.

The first Jefferson Eggfest in 2014 pretty much got rained out, but in typical fashion, we Eggheads still had a great time just being with each other. We promised we would be back for the 2015 Jefferson Eggfest, and we were. And we're very glad we came. We had a wonderful time and raised some serious cash for the Jefferson-Carnegie Library.

We're home now, supposedly rested, and all gear and clothing almost cleaned and put away. Now the 'calm' sets in and we begin to wonder about 'what's next?'

Here are some 'getting ready' photos. It got busy later on and I didn't get a lot of photos. Perhaps others will share their photos.

Notice the nice shady trees. The shade works well










It was really a good time for us and our Egghead Friends. We had fun.

The town of Jefferson was once the second largest town in Texas, after Galveston. Steamboats regularly came and went bringing westward bound travelers and goods to the furthest point west and took back cotton and other stuff, at least until the railroad came.

Historically, it was a very significant place back in the day. Now, it has a population of just over 2,000 and one of the most impressive collection of historic mansions anywhere.

Instead of goods, the town now thrives on tourism, mostly on weekends. Tourists mix right in with the locals. Everyone there is friendly to the point of our thinking, "Why are these people so friendly?" But it's real and sincere without threat or asking you to spend more in their little town. They're just happy to have us there.

Of course, this year we Eggheads were more than welcome after our performance last year, in spite of the rain. The weather was perfect this year and we helped them raise well over $7,000 in funding for the Jefferson Carnegie Library. They were still counting the money when we left on Sunday. Also, the Big Green Egg dealer sold completely out of the 25 or so Eggs he brought, and took orders for more.

The crowd, still modest by today's Eggfest standards, really enjoyed themselves. None went home hungry. A lot of them asked questions about the Egg, what we were cooking and serving, the chat rooms where we get help when we ask for it, etc. I gave out all of my cards listing helpful information about the Egg, and people really appreciated them.

The area host dealer, National Wholesale Supply, said it is their intention to make the Jefferson Eggfest the number one Eggfest in the state. That's a big undertaking because two other Eggfests have well over a 1,000 paying attendees. And now we have the Houston Eggfest in the works. It has some heavy-hitter sponsors and supporters who will go all out to bring in many thousands of people who are more than willing to support the purpose of the Eggfest, to raise funds for the Texas Children's Hospital.

It's all about 'enthusiasm.' The more you have of it, the more things turn out for the better. And we Eggheads have a lot of it to spare and to share.

No matter what, it will be a great Eggfest next year and for years to come.

Judy and I served our ever-popular bourbon meatballs, along with about 10 pounds of beef skirt steak made into fajitas. All of it was delicious and got a lot of great comments from old and young alike. But there were all kinds of food being cooked and served, getting similar comments in the process.

So I guess we'll be going back next year, along with the Eggfests in Salado, Athens, Austin and Houston,. Yes, we're gluttons for punishment, both physically and financially. But it is always worth it.

There were a few thousand motorcycle riders in town for their annual Burn Benefit Drive that generates a lot of money for the Burn Center in Galveston. Yes, there were some awesome bikes there and the air was alive with bike sounds and music. If you're a biker, you should check it out next year. If you're also an Egghead, check us out too. Or better yet, come cook with us.

Thanks Jefferson, Texas for inviting us into your community, making us feel comfortable, and for appreciating our efforts. We will be back for more next year.

Coop Party/70th Birthday Party/Coop Fest

The Party's Over, It's time to call it a day...

Actually, the party has been over for a few weeks, September 5th, but the clean-up has continued for a few more days if you take into account all the leftover food we've been trying our best to 'dispose' of, calorie by calorie.

We used some of it at the Jefferson Eggfest on October 10th, but that's another post after this one.

By any standard, it was a great party from start to finish. And if you don't believe me, here's the video:

Coop Party - The Movie

Even the Meet & Greet party at El Palenque Mexican Restaurant & Cantina on Friday evening was a lot of fun for the 31 who were there. A couple of others arrived looking for us just as we all left.

One thing is for sure, Friday night's party wet the appetites of everyone for more fun. And they started arriving at the Chicken Ranch very early to get things going.

I could go on and on talking about the fun but I'll let the soon to be released video tell the story. Just hang in there and you will be able to enjoy it through photos...

For all of those who came to the Coop Party on Saturday, especially those who cooked and brought items to cook, eat or drink or talk about or share, thanks. There was certainly a lot of it and it was all very good. If you tried to count everyone, it would have been difficult because everyone was moving about so much trying to keep up with everything going on. But some estimates seem to agree that it was somewhere between 60 and 65. I hope I got all of them in the video.

It wasn't announced ahead of time but My Sweetie was also celebrating her 70th birthday that weekend. So it came as no surprise that there was cake and candles involved, as well as a few gifts.

And before you ask, No, I don't see another Coop Party in this lifetime...

But this one was fun...

Leroy and Judy
aka Spring Chicken and Spring Hen
The Chicken Ranch
Spring Texas USA

The Coop Fest Countdown Continues

As of today there's only 21 days remaining until the long-awaited Coop Fest/Party.  And they seem to be counting down a lot faster that a few months ago when we first decided to have it.

We used the days and sometimes nights to freshen up the place a bit.  But it hasn't been easy.  The heat this year has been horrible, driving us back into the house to the safety and comfort of the Air Conditioner.

I keep asking myself what we did back in the 40's and 50's to deal with the heat.  All I could remember is we either worked through it or took off to Hawthorn Creek where the water was cold and clear, coming from a spring not too far away.

Now I have a spa right in my back yard that I can jump into 85° water in the Summer or 100° water in the Winter.  So I've been taking full advantage of that 85° water this Summer.

Oh, the reason I started this post was to let everyone know that we have about 50 "definitely will be here's" and maybe 20 to 25 "maybe I'll drop by's."  And a lot of those who are coming are cooking up some really special dishes.  So come hungry.

If you're wondering "What Coop Fest/Party" here's the link:  http://coopparty.blogspot.com/

See you in three weeks.

Work Is Never Done

With the Coop Party coming up in a few weeks (Sept 5th), we've been busy cleaning, fixing, making,  washing, trimming, rearranging, painting, and generally, keeping ourselves busy.  Not all of it is for the Coop Party though, some was stuff that just happened.

Like the two Adirondack chairs I decided to build.  Those plastic ones were just not comfortable for me and my 300 pounds.  So I made two using 1¼" treated decking boards and stainless steel screws.

They turned out well.  They are very comfortable and should last a while.

Meanwhile, Judy had a lot of stained glass pieces she wanted to use, so she tried her hand at Mosaic. I helped by doing the wood part.

It really turned out nice, and was a lot of fun.  I'm sure there will be more Mosaic pieces in the future. I may even try it myself.

The oppressive July heat is keeping us from other outside projects but we did most of the work repairing the section of fence that blew down during a storm.  We were able to salvage a lot of the pickets and posts, but the rails were rotten and needed replacing.  I could see to drive the large nails but I had to have our International Workforce drive in the 300+ picket nails.

The other big and very satisfying project was to repair our oldest Big Green Egg, Lily Large.  We got her in 1999 and she's been our favorite ever since.  But we noticed cracks in the base.  They expanded up the sides and across to the point where it was unsafe to use her.  So I took her out of service.

She was replaced by Lola Large under the lifetime warranty.

So what do you do with a broken Egg?

I first thought I would just cut away the broken part and make her into a wood fired pizza oven.  Like this:

But when I mentioned the idea to the BGE Distributor, he suggested, instead, to salvage Lily by using PC7 Epoxy.  I was a bit hesitant but he was sure it would work.  So I bought some PC7 and applied it according to the instructions.  And it worked!  I've already cooked a couple of things on her and no cracks.  We're thrilled, of course, and now are the proud owners of five Big Green Eggs.

There's more but this should let you know that we're staying busy.

Looks Like We're Having A Coop Party

It has been years since we had a Coop Party, 2010 to be exact.  So Judy and I decided to have another one.  This time it will be held on September 5, 2015 here at the Chicken Ranch.

It should be a hoot and a half given that it is also Judy's 70th birthday.

We're expecting a sizable crowd from all over.  Some of our friends and local neighbors will be here along with a bunch of Eggheads that we have come to love.

I put together a web site just for it.  I think I pretty much covered everything except the weather.  We know it will be hot, but will it be dry or wet?  That's to be found out when the day arrives.  No matter, we'll just move inside.

Here's the link:

http://coopparty.blogspot.com/

Great Doctor Visit

I see all of my doctors at least once a year, some twice a year and some four times a year.  I like going to them to make sure I'm in good shape, not wait until I'm in bad shape.

Yesterday was my semi-annual visit to my cardiologist.  We met on January 18, 2007 by 'heart attack.'  He was Director of the Heart Surgery Center at Houston Northwest Medical Center the night Judy drove me to the Emergency Room.  And he just happened to be there at the hospital.  From that moment on, we were an inseparable pair: Doctor and Patient.  And it wasn't long, we were friends who received hugs every time we visited him.

The thing we like about him is his genuine concern for my health.  He takes the time to discuss, to answer, to explain, to show us what is sometimes difficult to understand.  And although he suggests that I lose weight and exercise, he doesn't jump my case about it.  He knows that we know the consequences of a poor diet and lack of exercise.

But I'm always pleased to hear him say I'm in good shape.  As was the case yesterday.

Coop Party 2015 Date Announced

Yes, there is going to be another Coop Party.  This one is set for Saturday, September 5th, 2015.

Yes, it will be held here at the Chicken Ranch.

We've already got 35 committed to be here, and others are either 'working on it' or 'will try to make it.'  Then there are some neighbors and friends who will likely come to see what all this "Egghead" stuff is about.  So we're planning around there being 50.  Or as we here at the Chicken Ranch call it: 'Just over 4 doz.'  It should be enough to have a good time.

I've started a blog site just for the Coop Party.

http://coopparty.blogspot.com/

Think of it as a work in progress.  I've got lots more to add to it before it is considered reliable information.  But I'll be working on it as we get closer to September 5th.

We already know some will be flying in, some will be driving in, and some will just walk across the street.

And, before you even ask, the 'Guest Nest Room' is already taken.  But you can pop up a tent for the night.  Our back .40 is fenced from all but flying varmints and artillery.

See you at the Coop Party.

David and Michelle Got Married

Nephew # 1, David Ranlett, married a delightfully wonderful Michelle on May 22, 2015.  There was no way we were going to miss this wedding and we arrived there three days ahead of time.  Naturally, there was much to do and lots of pictures to take.  The pictures were my job, along with Stan the Man, a photographer friend of the bride and groom.  So there will eventually be lots of photos for me to assemble into a video of the event.  I can wait but I did want everyone to know a video would be forthcoming.

It was a wonderful wedding ceremony, followed by an equally wonderful reception with well over 100 friends and family fully enjoying themselves and partying hard in celebration of  the obvious happiness of the newlyweds.

More will follow...

Birthday Surprise

As many of you know, my birthday is May 8th.  But only a few of you know that Judy's sister, Joyce, has the same birthday, albeit a decade later than mine.  So we try to celebrate our birthdays together every year.  Only this year there were some reasons to postpone it a bit.  Her son, David, was getting married on May 22nd.  That meant we would be traveling to New Orleans for the wedding, so why not just celebrate both events at the same time.  Plus, Joyce was feeling kinda yucky and our showing up might make it worse.

But in the days just before May 8th, Judy learned that Joyce's husband, Allen, had arranged for a nice private birthday dinner at Murial's, just off Jackson Square in the French Quarter.  Meanwhile, Joyce was feeling a little better, and that was enough encouragement for Judy to say, "Let's go to Murial's and surprise her."  Okay by me, and we started making plans and hotel reservations.

But her illness was sort of up and down so we let Allen in on the plan so he could alert us if there was a last minute change.  She knew nothing about any of this.

So we checked into our hotel and took a cab to the restaurant to wait for their arrival.  We also made arrangements with the hostess to steer them to the bar when they arrived.

So they were met with the hostess saying, "I'm sorry but your table is still being prepared.  Could you please wait a few minutes in the bar."  We saw them coming through the crowd.  And just as Joyce got close, Judy stepped out blocking Joyce's path.  And Joyce had that "How rude!!!" look on her face for a few seconds until it changed to a 'confused' look, and then to pure joy!  It turned out perfect.

We had a great meal, walked around a bit in the French Quarter and rode back with them to our hotel.
The next day the two of them painted Miss Piggy, a concrete statue we gave Joyce for her birthday. I took a couple of naps and enjoyed a little rum, both in a glass and on a plate in the form of Rum Cake.  It was delicious, along with two other cakes.

Then David and Michelle came over to visit, totally unaware that we were there.  Yet another surprise.  Then the conversations shifted to their upcoming wedding.  And that set in motion some shopping and printing that needed to be done.

And then Chase and Sheryl showed up.  Also surprised.  They were married a few months earlier and this was the first time we saw them since the wedding.

We had pulled off the surprise of the century, had fun doing it, and were glad we did it, knowing that we would return in a couple of weeks for David and Michelle's wedding.

Oh, and in spite of her feeling poorly, Joyce was a trooper the entire time.  Perhaps the 'Medicine of Family' being together helped.  Yes.... I'm sure it was that.

Sous Vide Cooking and the Big Green Egg

I've been curious about Sous Vide cooking for years. Then Lake Conroe Egger got one and told us about it. That got my curious juices going again. Then Misippi Egger got one and bragged about a couple of his cooks. That was it. I had to have one. So I dropped a couple of hints in the right place and got one for my sixty-fourteenth birthday a few days back.

Needless to say, I wanted something I could mix and match the Sous Vide with my Big Green Egg. So I bought a $25 Pound and half Prime Ribeye at H.E.B. for my first cook.

It took me a while to make a video of it but here it is.

https://youtu.be/YsuRcRvUn9s

If you're even thinking about getting a Sous Vide Immersion Water Cooker, hang around and watch me try a couple of other cooks. But right now, I think I'll eventually get the hang of it. And, of course, I will post about it.

Spring "Almost Always In Hot Water About Something" Chicken
Spring Texas USA