Drivels and Snivels

Big Name Sport's Stars-Boring

2022-08-08T15:32:00.003-07:00

Is anyone else sick and tired of prima donna athletes? KD,this is boring. You signed the contract, now, do the job and win a championship for the Nets.

GREED

2022-08-08T12:14:00.002-07:00

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. ... James 5:1 ESV

For Shame,For Shame, For Shame

2022-08-04T11:42:00.001-07:00

My hometown has not only been invaded by outsiders, it has been the victim of a disease of pandemic proportions, and I am not talking about Covid-19. No, I am talking about the disgusting, easily tramsmitted disease of greeed and love of money.Many lower income and retired Social Security retirees are in a life saving mode searching for resoanable housing, the old homes being sold out to tourists for hundreds of dollars per night. We live in a world void of love for our neighbor.

It Is Derby Time Again

2022-06-17T13:39:00.000-07:00

A Wallace Tradition

It Must Be Derby Time , And Bizarre Days Around the Nation.

2022-06-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

Yes sir we, Bob, it is that time when the great city of Wallace, Idaho showcases all the fine restaurants, bars, hospitality and sense of humor to the world. What could possibly be more exuberating than to follow with quivering, drunken, anticipation a ball floating down what was once a dirty, filthy, nasty, smelly, unsanitary,polluted, creek, officially the SouthFork of the Coeur D' Alene River, but lovingly , and adoringly known to locals as " Lead Creek"Only now, of course, the creek is clean, but I don't think an event renamed " Clean Creek Derby" would have the same appeal.

I am sure that our great city of Wallace is not the only metropolis in the world that has a funky event of such magnitude, so I did a little research and found these beauties.

Spivey Corner, NC. you will love this one, folks. The National Hollerin Contest. Evidently folks in this sophisticated town feel that "hollerin" is a lost art. Hm, they must have never been to Wallace on a Saturday night on the old days. However, it is nice to know that because o Spivey Corner, NC, "hollerin" will never be lost to the world, and we are grateful,

In case one thinks that "Derby Days or Depot Days" is a little strange, hang on to your beer because if there ever was a reason to hold a festival, Fruita, Colorado has us beat. What could possibly top the event of all events, and the Creme de la creme of events? Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the "Headless Chicken Days". No, I did not make that one up. No one could.

Just when you thought that it could not get much more bizarre, I close today with this one,the one the Chicago Tribune heralds as one of the top 100 celebrations in the US. Ladies and gentlemen, drum roll please_______________I present to you the "Frozen Dead Guy Days". It is too much to write,, so I will get a little lazy here and do a little copy and pasting. This you will want to read.

When Grandpa Bredo passed away in 1989, he was a parks-and-recreation director in Norway who suffered from heart problems. Four years later, he was the "frozen dead guy" living in a backyard shed in Nederland, Colo.Bredo's family was into cryonics, and from the time of his death he was stored in a cryonics facility in California. In 1993, though, his daughter and grandson decided to care for him themselves, at their home in Nederland. Word soon got out that a local family was keeping a frozen Grandpa in the yard, and the artsy, off-beat mountain town loved it.A couple of decades later, Grandpa Bredo is still there -- but his family isn't. They ended up heading back to Norway but left Grandpa in the shed, under the care of the Ice Man, a hired hand who refreshes the dry-ice supply once a month to keep him safely frozen. It's a good thing he stayed, since he's the center of a funny little tradition that has grown into a huge, annual celebration that marks the final days of harsh winter.
The party known as "Frozen Dead Guy Days" takes place over a weekend in March, and it's quite the wacky destination. People come from near and far to take part in the death-and-winter-themed festivities, including coffin races, frozen-T-shirt contests, ice-turkey bowling, brain-freeze contests and the frozen-salmon toss. There's live music, lots of beer and, of course, tours of Grandpa Bredo's shed, where the old man rests in suspended animation, waiting to rise again and greet his fans.
The Chicago Tribune ranked Frozen Dead Guy Days among the best 100 festivals in the United States.

http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/destinations/parades-festivals/5-weird-festivals1.htm
More to come.

Happy Birthday -Big 21 tomorrow for Grandson Tai

2022-06-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my grandson's, Tai, 21st birthday, His birth brought so much joy to his grandpa.

I was still living in Seattle in those days, and every moment that I could get away from the hotel, I headed up to your parent's house to see you. I have hundreds and hundreds of photos of you. I remember the first time that you fell asleep in my arms. I remember holding your hand when you started walking, and ventured up the street to the baseball park and watched the softball games on Sunday afternoons. You had already developed a love of baseball that you have to this day.

I remember the fist time that you called me "grandpa", and instead of making me feel old, it had quite the opposite effect. I made me feel alive. I remember that we talked Seattle Mariner baseball when you were only two years old, and you could name some of the players even then. Cammy,(Mike Cameron) was your favorite player, and you even had a jersey with his name on it.

I followed your Little League games from here in Idaho on cam at your park there. I watched you pitch on national television in the Little League Word Series, and I followed your HS baseball religiously including getting to watching you play for the Washington State Championship at Safeco Field.

Now, you are a young man, and I am so proud of you, and I love you. Happy Birthday!

Time,Time,Is Not On Our Side

2022-05-07T00:41:00.002-07:00

2 Timothy 3:1

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come

Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/End-Times

Mark 13:32

But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

Matthew 28:20

teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

1 John 2:18

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.

Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/End-Times NASB

Jesus is coming back soon. Are you ready?

Here's Johnny

2022-04-20T10:29:00.002-07:00

The world is teetering on the verge of nuclear disaster, raging pandemics, and mass starvation, but we are interested in the news coverage of Johnny Depp because, OH that's right, I am not interested in the least. Americas has become a living soap opera.

Disgusting!!!

Batter Up

2022-03-26T15:10:00.001-07:00

Yes, fans, it is once again time for the great American pastime. I know, I know, most people consider football to be the leader in American fan support, but well, I am, if nothing, a romanticist in the classical sense, and I am somewhat of a back to future type guy, so to me, there is no comparison. Baseball is still king of the hill.

Every year when I was growing up Wallace, the beginning of the baseball season was a time of celebration. My late dad loved baseball, and he had grown up a St Louis Cardinals fan. As a young man, he used the old peephole at a stadium in his hometown of Joplin, MO, and watched the Cardinals play an exhibition game against the Joplin Miners, a minor league club in the Western Association. Dad instilled the love of the game in my brother and in me at a very, very, young age. The Game of the Week was a time of sharing" dad time", and we never missed it.

Each year when spring came, and baseball season started, my dad would remark that another winter was gone, and he had made it another year. Spring and baseball brought hope, new beginnings, and a pat on the back that indeed another harsh Wallace winter was over. As i get older, I, too, now look for the start of the baseball season and I, too, now, say. "Wow, I made it another year. I am still alive, and there are new beginnings and new hope.

So, Play Ball!

2021-11-16T00:04:00.000-08:00

In 2008 we were taking care of my parents in Osburn after my mother had her stroke. We decided that we were going to have tofurky that year for Thanksgiving instead of turkey. I wrote a tongue in cheek blog about hunting for one.

The time had come, and I got in my car. I was dressed in  my best hunting clothes, and I had my weapon oiled, loaded, and ready for the  hunt. Now, as everyone knows the Silver Valley has many great animals, but the Tofurky was not to be found here.
Thanksgiving was just a few days away, and it  was time to do the annual hunt. I would be going deep this year into uncharted  regions to put the annual feast on the table this year. It was a dangerous hunt,  but I carefully prepared all of my gear for the adventure. The danger of the  hunt was a large part of the tradition, and although many a hunter had met with  tragedy, I scorned the danger, for I am a man that would have made the pioneers  of this great nation proud. This country was built on those who dared to defy  the odds, and against all barriers, guide the building of what we are  today.

Yes, it was uncharted hunting for me, for I had never gone  Tofurky hunting before, but being the careful planner that I am, I had read  everything that I could find about this wild beast of prey. I googled, and  googled and googled to make sure that I had digested every bit of input that I  could lay my hands and eyes on, for I wanted to be ready. Nervous? You bet your  sweet candy yams that I was. But afraid? You can bet your pumpkin pie that I  would never show it. Fear has no place in the hunt, and if you show fear, the  great Tofurkeys would know it, and they would devour you right in the middle of  your cranberry sauce.

So, just three days before Thanksgiving, I decided  that this was the day, and no matter what happened to me, I would know that I  was a man of the woods, a man who had faced the odds, a man who dared fate to  make me mincemeat pie. I would not be made in to a pile of mashed potatoes, nor  I would I be reduced to a quivering bowel of jello salad. No, I would get my  Tofurky, or I would die trying. Either I would bag the great beast, or the beast  would devour me.

So, my wife and I left the  friendly confines of home, not knowing what awaited us in the big city of CDA,  but we are ready, excited, and determined that we would be victorious, and would  safely get back home with our prize. We had a great trip , as we always do,  laughing, and bantering back and forth as the car made it's way over the  mountain to Tofurky country. And suddenly, we were there. Now, I have to admit,  we began to feel a little fear. The cold sweat began to trickle down my back as  we neared the sacred hunting grounds. We would have to be guided by fate,  because we knew not which spot in the sacred hunting grounds would be the place  where we would spot our first Tofurky.

Up Hwy 95 we went. Ah, yes, the  most dangerous highway, but if we were going to have any luck in the hunt, this  was the way that would offer the most likely chance of getting our game. Our  senses were fully alert as we made our way past the great Appleway intersection.  We were getting deeper and deeper in to the jungles. To our right we saw what we  were looking for. Super One. If there were any Tofurkys in CDA, this would be  as good a place as any to find them.

We hugged each other as we got out  of the car, knowing that we were about to be entering the most dangerous zone  known to man. Quickly, we entered the sacred hunting grounds of Super One, and  began to scout the terrain. Hm, the area was full of hunters that day. There  must have been hundreds and hundreds of them. We would not only be lucky to to  find our prey, we would be luck if they were not all gone by the time that we  did find them.

Slowly, we began to make our way around the grounds. We  went past the part where we saw many hunters who had already bagged their prey  for the day. Their hunting carts were full of a funny looking bird they were  calling a turkey. Oh well, each to their own I guess. Anyone could hunt and get  a turkey, but few in North Idaho could bag a Tofurky. I vowed that we would  not leave the sacred hunting grounds without one.

I could sense that we  were near one, and the hair on my head began to stand on end. Careful, careful,  I told myself. We must not let them know we were there. And then, I spotted the  frozen tundra ahead, and I knew we were close, The hunt was on, and I threw all  caution to the wind as I drew my weapon, and guided my hunting cart with neck  breaking speed towards the frozen area. "Careful", my lovely wife shouted out,  but the blood was racing through my veins, and my ears were pounding, my heart  beating faster than a light, but I now no longer cared. And all of a sudden,  there it was, right in front of me. The GREAT TOFURKY, the greatest beast to  ever roam the earth. My moves were swift and precise, and the poor beast never  knew what hit him. In one full swoosh, I had bagged it, and had it in my hunting  cart.

My wife and I danced on the sacred hunting ground as we gave praise  for our good fortune.
Afraid that this might be only a dream, I ran toward  the other throngs of hunters to make the final offering for our game. With the  skill of an expert hunter, I whipped out my bankcard plastic weapon, and  finished the deal. It was over. We had our Tofurky, and we were speeding home  with our prize. Another great hunt, another great day to give thanks.

Comment

A Star Named Starr

2021-09-30T14:15:00.000-07:00

He was a childhood friend, a classmate, and a star athlete. He was an inspiration to me. He was a friend, a blogger, and someone I trusted to share my writings with. Most of all, in these last couple of years, he was a brother in Christ, and I miss him. R.I.P my dear friend and brother.

In Memory of Starr Kelso who passed away on September 10th, 2021

2021-09-18T16:22:00.000-07:00

We were tough. We were mean. We were, well, full of ourselves, and we were only in the seventh grade. After all, we were the biggest kids in the seventh grade and were even bigger than our eighth-grade buddies. Good old Wallace Junior High School, no one who went there can forget it

. An old dismal building that housed the grade school on the first two floors, and four hundred hormone raging animals on the third floor. Anyway, it was a glorious September day, a Thursday, about 2:45 P.M.It was the afternoon before the first flag football game of the year against Mullan. Did I mention we were full of ourselves? My buddy, whose name I will not mention to protect the guilty, but his initials are SK.,and I decided that we did not have to attend the last practice before the game. Why?, you ask, well I can't exactly remember, but it had something to do with the fact that we were first-stringers, the two biggest guys on the team, and we were, well, special. At least we thought we were special

. So instead of going to practice, we snuck past the park, cast a wary eye behind, and went home. The next afternoon we boarded the team bus and headed to Mullan. When we got to the field, Mr. M, our coach told the first string to go to one section, the second string to another section, and, well, you guessed it, SK and I were told to go off by ourselves, and throw the football around. We were no longer first string. We were not second-sting. We were not even thrid string, we were the Zombie squad, a disgraced squad of two.

So off we went by ourselves to warm-up. Our egos bruised, no longer the legends in our own minds, we started to pass the football to each other. On the first pass from SK to me, I caught the ball on the side of my middle finger on my right hand, and the bone shattered like a matchstick.I never did tell SK he broke my finger, but on the slim chance he is somewhere out there reading my blog, I am telling him now." SK, you shattered my finger". About that time, the coach decided to insert us in the game.

Nauseated, finger throbbing, I went in. I swear the kid I was facing on the other side of the ball must have known my finger was broken because he seemed to hit it on every play. I went to the sideline and told Coach I thought my finger was broken. He roughly felt it, and said"you're not hurt. Get back in there." After the game, my mother took me up to the old Wallace Hospital where Dr. Ned said"you shattered it" A hard lesson, a bitter pill. I never again missed a practice. The football gods had punished me enough.

2021-09-11T15:01:00.000-07:00

Here are my all-time favorite things to wonder about at night..

Recycled Toilet Paper--Hm, now, just how does that work?

Or forms that say "THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK". Now, when they print that, that makes the space not blank, making the statement untrue.

How about on Christmas lights where is says " for indoor or outdoor use only" It there any other kind of use?

How about on a prescription bottle where it says to take "ONE, pill two times a day." Now , how do you take the same pill more than once

So, you see, there are many mysteries in life, and they keep me awake at night wondering about them.

When Baseball Was King--The Gem of Burke

2021-07-22T09:08:00.001-07:00

Be still, be very still and listen to the cool summer breeze as it darts around the thick cluster of trees that sit on the green hillsides. Be still, for the breezes are trying to direct your attention to the swaying branches that are beckoning you to listen, listen, and be still, be very still.

There it is, faint and far away, but it is getting clearer and louder in the still silence of the forest. Yes, you can begin to make it out a little better now. It sounds like the chatter of some men. Yes, that is it. It is chatter, and as the sound gets louder and clearer, the dense forest of trees part aside, and there it is in its full beauty, The Gem of Burke, a perfectly cut, flawless, diamond. The men chattering are on the diamond, and there are multitudes of men, women, and children sitting in wooden bleachers yelling, clapping, shouting, and grumbling as a lone man stands in the batter's box. And then, the unmistakable sound of wood hitting ball. The fans in the stands are on their feet and in unison, as if it is a well-rehearsed choir, sing out a mighty cheer as the ball arks, and then sails higher and higher, orbiting into space, and over the outreaching hands of the men in the field. It plummets down on the hillside and the batter races around the diamond at full speed until he reaches safely home.

The game is over, and the fans begin to leave.it has been a splendid summer, and baseball was reigning supreme in Burke. The fans and players thought that it would never end.

Go up to Burke past the power station, and follow the path down to the old park. There is not much left now, but if you are still, very still, and will let them, the trees are just waiting to tell you a story of long ago when baseball was king, and when the Gem of Burke was the queen.

Gaither Vocal Band, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Gatlin Brothers - Jesus Love...

2021-07-15T20:14:00.002-07:00

When The Corner Was More Than a Corner

2021-07-05T12:54:00.001-07:00

It was more than a bar, more than a magazine stand, and more than a place to buy a Cherry Coke that did not come out of a can or a bottle but was made with cherry syrup and Coca-Cola mix. It was also a place that was more or less forbidden for me to go up there when I was young because of the drinking that was going on there

The Corner was one of those places in the 1950's and 1960s that allowed beer only drinking because Idaho had a strange law back then that allowed a 20-year-old to drink beer, but you had to be 21 to drink the hard stuff. I use to chuckle when I envisioned a young person who at the stroke of midnight jumped in maturity from 20 years old to 21years old and could now be man or woman enough to handle straight shots.

As I got older the Wallace Corner became the place that would fuel my dreams of big cities were there was " real" life, as I thought of it back then. So, on Sunday afternoons I would trudge up the street and purchase a news paper from Los Angels, Cleveland, NY, San Francisco, or Seattle. I would take my future road map home and read every word from those major papers and dream of getting on a bus and heading for one of those cities. It was years later that I finally realized that life in Wallace and life in North Idaho WAS the real life that I wanted.

Yes, the Wallace Corner was a very large part of Growing up Wallace.

Always Faithful

2021-05-28T22:26:00.001-07:00

Things change, people change, cities change, but God is always faithful

Chips Ahoy

2021-04-11T16:33:00.002-07:00

Of course, you want to impress your spouses' new boss, and when you know that he is bringing his wife and kids over from Spokane to neet you and your kids, the pressure is on. My parents were not in the least formal dining or party type people, so it was mutually decided that we would all meet at Pottsville, and have a good old-fashioned hot dog roast and picnic.

It was the late summer between my 3rd and 4th-grade years of school, and a day at good old Potsvville sounded splendid, and if anyone knew he to do a great picnic, it was my mother. The potato salad that made you want to jump into the bowel and devour it all, baked beans, chocolate cake, fruit, and not but not least, potato chips.was gourmet dining outdoors.

The fire for roasting was ready, the sticks sharpened with a perfect point for holding the hot dog over the fire, and all of the salads, sides, and deserts stood ready to go.

As we finished roasting and began placing our hot dogs on buns, lading them with relish, mustard, or whatever your choice, my mother was standing over the table with a frantic look on her face. It was then she softly choked out, "where are the utensils?" It seems like in the check-off list something had been left behind. We had salad, cake, and other things like beans, but we did not have spoons, forks, or even a butter knife.

While most of us stood looking like we had to figure out how to solve world peace, my dad's new boss's wife picked up a large chip and began dipping. Soon, like an ancient people learning a new survival skill, we all grabbed new chips and got small helpings. Of course, that did create a problem with the cake, but other than that we all got our fill, and everyone agreed it was a great time and an unforgettable first meeting.

By the way, my dad turned out to be one of his boss's favorite employees for the next 10 plus years.

Half Up The Ladder

2021-04-09T23:56:00.003-07:00

Thought for today:

Are you a full-time Christian or a part-time Christian? Jesus wants us to be all in.

He Has Risen

2021-04-04T10:22:00.001-07:00

Paid in full

2021-04-03T14:56:00.001-07:00

Three of the most important words ever spoken were heard from Jesus Christ as he neared death on the cross. And with the mighty declaration, He wrapped up the end of sin problem that separated man from God. "IT IS FINISHED", an accounting term meaning paid in full. My sins, your sins, the sins of the whole world, all-time, were paid for, to be remembered no more. All that we have to do is accept it by faith, and let Christ come into our lives. He paid it all, the most beautiful words.

Am I driveling or am I sniveling?

2021-02-06T10:37:00.001-08:00

Hello again from the lost land of Wallace. The snow is falling, the temperature is plummeting, and I am debating about which direction this blog is going to go .We have traveled together from The Bronx to Burke, from Wallace to college in Kirkland, from hotel to hotel, and from family tragedy to celebrations of life. We have laughed together, and we have wept together and I have always enjoyed sharing my life and also sharing my home town memories.

Two months ago I hit a writer's block, and I could not even construct a complete sentence. I am slowly coming out of that, and in the meantime my life has changed in various ways. I just want you to know that I am still here, and I am going to continue to write. I will be back writing in about a week. In the meantime I leave you with this thought.

Ist John 4:10-NIV

7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

13This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

Saturday humor

2020-11-28T00:09:00.000-08:00

Saved By A ZAG Or Two

2020-11-13T15:47:00.004-08:00

Election Blues, the virus, no money, runny nose got you sniffling, well, never fret, Gonzaga Basketball to the rescue. Yes, the big G held their first public, without the public scrimmage game last night and put on a show to let us peak into what is to come.

Ranked first in the nation by AP and 2nd by USA Today, this could be the best Gonzaga team ever.

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/nov/12/gonzaga-no-2-in-usa-today-preseason-poll-two-point/https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/nov/12/gonzaga-no-2-in-usa-today-preseason-poll-two-point/

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/nov/12/no-fans-but-gonzaga-upperclassmen-freshmen-put-on-/

Time To Trim The Pumpkin

2020-10-24T17:21:00.001-07:00

First day of 24 hour a day Hallmark Christmas movies and we get blasted by a heavy snow in October. Coincidence? I think not !