February 2012 started off DARK!! ( and foggy)

Think about it a minute,  All months start off DARK!! (figer it out)  :-)

One of the first emails I got this morning was from my page counter of the detailed report that list visitors, their place of origin, how long they stayed , etc etc. my "page hits" are staying pretty level, with a few new visitors.Back when I had  a web page I was always amazed at how many visitors I had from other countries.   Then my page was pretty heavy with Hot Air Ballooning and travel. But times change ..

Day starting off warm and according to the weather report, foggy. Can't tell yet cause it's dark out but  Tiny cat can tell the temperature outside cause when it's nice she goes and sits by the back door waiting for me to open it, and that's where she is right now. at 6AM as I type ( OK, copy and paste really)
Course today is Wednesday, So set my two bags of trash out, and get my lotto ticket later.
Otherwise not sure what's on tap.
Weather out of the way before I git busy and slap ass forget it.

54.9 °F
Mist   
Humidity:     87%
Wind:     1.0 mph from the SSW
Wind Gust:     3.0 mph
Visibility:     1.8 miles
Dew Point:     51 °F
Precipitation:     10% chance of precipitation
Pressure:     30.07 in (Falling)

NWS forecast: Patchy dense fog before 9am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 75. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest. 

Got my new calendar printed and marked up. On last months' I wrote down  all my regular bills that I pay out, then totaled them up. Shoot!! I'm in better shape than I thought by a long shot!! My utilities, insurance, truck payment, that type of stuff don't come near to my income, so eventually I just blow the rest of it each month. :-) ( maybe I can hire that redheaded topless house keeper after all. :-)

Naw.. If I did that I'd need one of the Life Alert instant call buttons to wear. :-)

Neighbor the other day was off on a tear, going on and on about some buddy of his who found out the gas drilling companies had been pumping gas out for under his land and not paying for it. So the guy hired a lawyer and sued and won a bunch of money. Now neighbor had it in his head the same thing is happening out here to us.  Told him to let me know and if it was true, I'd help pay for the lawyer.  ( not going to hold my breath for that to come about)


 Professor Hermit has some Texas history for today if you're interested.   Texas secedes from the Union
 Wish I'd had a history teacher like Jim when I was in school.


In yesterday’s blog I mentioned some fishing I had done in the Galveston Bay area.  I fished a LOT during those days. ( I’d have to do some serious digging to find the exact dates ,but mid/late ‘70’s)   During the summer time we got off work at 4pm and there was plenty of time to throw the boat in the water and fish for a couple hours.  Hardest part was cleaning the boat and putting it back in the garage.  I treated that thing like my life depended on it. In some ways it did. If I broke down out in the Bay, it might be a long time till someone found me. I even had a form I filled out and left at home when I’d go out.  Had all my information on it from boat make and color, the TX numbers and where I planned on being that day and when I expected to return.
Always made sure wifie knew where I was going as well.

I knew a lot of people in the area and would talk with them and we’d share our secret hot spots (sometimes) Thinking back on it I don’t remember every NOT catching fish.

I think the worst day it was 32F when we launched the boat into a small side lake off Clear Lake, Taylor Bayou  .It was just too dammed cold to get out in the open Bay with the wind. Hell, spray was freezing to my windshield.  
We got into some rat reds that day we found feeding up and down some shallow water near shore.

I found a few ole early type depth finders and rigged one up. I put the sender unit behind my built in gas tank, in a tube super glued to the hull. To make it work, I’d have to wet the sponge it rested in the tube, but it’d work up till I hit about 20 MPH. ( that boat would run 40 + MPH  )  Think that set up cost me maybe $20. 

Biggest fish I ever caught and landed?   Had to be a 3+ foot shovel head shark!
Back then there wasn’t a size limit on Speckled trout (Spotted Weakfish)    and often my huge built in fish-well/ice chest would be full!!

One of my part time fishing buds taught me how and when to catch flounder.   Fish an area real close to a water flow area. Like in a Back Bay or slough that has passage.  With an incoming tide fish that side of the cut, outgoing tide, fish the other side.  Worked and I caught a ton of dinner plate size flounder.  

Oddest fish I ever caught was a porcupine fish (a type of puffer fish).  Just cut the line and let him loose.

Caught a sea snake once , cut that sucker loose you betcha!!

Hated catching dang mud head catfish, but would on occasion hook and land a  gaff top , they’re  good eating.

I guess the best eating bay fish were golden croaker.  Not real big but good eating for sure.


Good times back. Some day I'll try and tell ya the story bout the time wifie went with me.:-)



Mo' Coffee,, BBL..............

11AM plus.   Started out the door and it's raining!!!

What that's all about?  If you look close you can see the streaks of falling drops.  It'll quit in a bit I betcha.




 Early afternoon..    and I'm po'ed!!  Blogger is changing their layout. For now we can still use the ole style lay out  but soon it'll be gone and we'll be stuck with the new sucky version. :-(  Grrrr...

I did get most of the stuff for my big ole pot of soup I'm making up this evening. Only thing they didn't have was Barley!  It adds a good taste to beef soups and stews. So, I'll just do with out it.  But I am going to add in some Orzo  to give it some body.   Also going to start off with a load of Beef broth instead of water and bouillon cubes.  IMHO just a better taste .
Course on the farm when mother made it, all the beef came from one of our steers and the vegetables were from the garden. But I'll get by OK. :-)

Right now though, since I got a full tummy from lunch think I'll put on a boring movie and prop my feet up. Bet a nap happens :-)

Afternoon time, cat feeding time, IF I can get them inside off the back porch where they sucking up sunshine in the warm.:-)
Well, that little o  pot of soup I was gonna make up?  I did and it kept growing and growing and growing some more. So anytime the next couple weeks you get the hankering for some soup. Come on up!!