Free Republic

Day is done... Gone the sun From the lake... From the hills... From the sky. All is well... Safely rest God is nigh. Fading light.... Dims the sight And a star.... Gems the sky.... Gleaming bright From afar.... Drawing nigh Falls the night. “TAPS“ - Major General Daniel Butterfield (www.west-point.org/taps/Taps.html ) By ****** That haunting melody never moved me as much as it did recently, at the graveside service of a man who touched my life with his humility, kindness, and a love of fishing. Delbert Lee Fellers was a man who found great pleasure in the simple things we...

June 2007 May was just about as demented weather-wise as a month can be! First—the cold, reinforced by drought, then wind and more wind. Rain, more cold, and some more wind from a different direction! It sort of felt like maybe we were actually in Auntie Em’s house, spinning round and round, being pelted by rain and buffeted by wind coming from every direction and wondering what in the world was going to happen to us. What few plants survived the frost, and didn’t succumb to the drought, gave up in the face of an extremely long and miserable nor’easter....

Have any of you ever bicycled or walked across America? It is something I've been thinking about for several years. If you have done this, would be interested in reading about your experiences. Routes you took (or avoided), mistakes made, lessons learned, planning, did you carry a firearm, memorable experiences, how long did it take, etc. ..... any aspect that you'd like to comment on.

I'm getting some hot sauces shipped to me over the next couple of days, and wanted to get some opinions from folks who have either tried them or in some ways experienced them. One set I'm getting is from Dave's Gourmet, i.e. the guy who created the "Insanity sauce" and the "ultimate insanity sauce". The batch I'm getting is the spicy 6 pack which is Roasted Pepper & Chipotle Sauce, Roasted Garlic Hot Sauce, Scotch Bonnet Sauce, Insanity Sauce, Cool Cayenne Sauce and Hurtin Jalapeno Sauce. Has anyone here ever tried any of these sauces and does anyone have an...

This is an animated video revealing a magnificent moment of a hummingbird amidst a flowerily scene and has been redone to appear more realistic and peaceful.

Bo (woof) In Commentary: If the old adage “the bigger they are, the harder they fall” is true, then Boris, the bull mastiff, is going to have one tough landing. Why do I say this? Because Boris can be seen from outer space! That, my friends, is big! (Most owners worry about losing their dogs if they slip through the front door - but with Boris, the bull mastiff, it is unlikely to be a major concern. The dog, which weighs in at a stagger 14 stone, is so large he can even be spotted from space...(con't @ http://boknowsonline.com/2008/06/12/myspace-from-space/)

...There is no meaningful correlation between CO2 levels and Earth’s temperature over this [geologic] time frame. In fact, when CO2 levels were over ten times higher than they are now, about 450 million years ago, the planet was in the depths of the absolute coldest period in the last half billion years. On the basis of this evidence, how could anyone still believe that the recent relatively small increase in CO2 levels would be the major cause of the past century’s modest warming?...“Since you are calling for various changes in legislation, which means you are getting the government involved, and...

Please remember folks --- this article is from 2006! June is here, and along with it, summer. Gone are the soft pastels of flowering vines such as jasmine and wisteria. The bolder, brighter summer colors of orange trumpet vine and the tropical colors of mandevillas are on their way. The soft, new greens of spring have been replaced by the harder greens of maturing leaves. Crepe myrtles and gardenias and hydrangeas are showing off their colors. Now that the things we hate about warm weather are back in full force-all the mosquitoes, sand gnats, yellow flies, and various other nasty...

TX and AZ Border Watches FOR YOUR INFORMATION...... Border watches on the TX and AZ borders have been scheduled by Texas Border Volunteers and Patriots Border Alliance (AZ). If you are interested in participating....please go to the following websites or contact the following e-mail addresses for further information. MEMBERSHIP IS REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE ON ANY BORDER WATCH!! BACKGROUNDS ARE CHECKED!! Texas Border Volunteers.....for information to join....go to www.texasbordervolunteers.org and download application or e-mail questions to vol052000-tbvmbrship@yahoo.com . Patriots Border Alliance (AZ).....for information to join (online)....go to www.patriotsborderalliance.com or e-mail questions to quetzal@wbhsi.net . As to recent news articles.....illegal aliens are...

This video was arranged and animated to the song, Hallelujah, sung by: The Five Blind Boys of Alabama. The Merlin falcon and its song are arranged in autumn scenery.

As I sit here behind this laptop, I now realize that this definitely wasn’t the brightest idea I have ever had. I was going to rope a deer, put it in a stall, feed it up on corn for a couple of weeks, then kill it and eat it. The first step in this adventure was getting a deer. I figured that, since they congregate at my cattle feeder and do not seem to have much fear of me when we are there (a bold one will sometimes come right up and sniff at the bags of feed while I...

5 foods it's cheaper to grow If grocery prices have you thinking about cutting costs with a garden, you may be on the right track. But be careful what you plant; a garden could raise your food costs. Whether you save by gardening depends largely on where you live, what you grow and how well you resist slick gadgets and miracle solutions. If you're looking to save money rather than to start a hobby, here are five garden crops likely to give you the best return: What about tomatoes? They require moderate care and vigilance, and in short-season climates, you...

The United States Senate rejected a Republican proposal to open one-hundredth of one-percent of the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for oil exploration. Fifty Democrats were joined by a half-dozen Republican senators in the 56 to 42 vote against the measure. “Preserving the frigid sterility of this wilderness must take precedence over a scheme to feed Americans’ gluttony for energy,” asserted Debbie Dullerd of the Alaska Wilderness League. She characterized the need for fuel as “temporary.” “The human species won’t last forever,” Dullerd declared. “It makes no sense to place its interests ahead of the rest of the planet.” “If...

In the days prior to the gigantic earthquake that devastated Sichuan province in China, odd swarms of frogs were seen in the streets of cities in the area, and have subsequently been identified as unusual animal behavior of the type that is thought by some geologists to precede earthquakes. Now it has developed that similar frog appearances have been taking place in Bakersfield,California for about two weeks, and nobody is sure why. Strange swarms of frogs also appeared before the 6.9 Loma Prieta Earthquake in October of 1989.

From: MidwayUSA Web Management Team Sent: Monday, May 05, 2008 11:45 AM To: Everyone; Battenfeld Everyone Subject: Scholastic Shooting Trust May 5, 2008 Dear MidwayUSA and Battenfeld Employees: Today I’m pleased to announce the official launch of the Scholastic Shooting Trust Fund, a mission of the newly-created MidwayUSA Foundation. The Scholastic Shooting Trust (SST) Fund is a web-based fundraising program designed to help support shooting education at every high school, college and university in America. Alumni who would like to see shooting programs offered at the school or schools they attended can help make that a reality by contributing to...

Wow! What an arctic blast! Can you remember a colder Good Friday and Easter? It wouldn’t be so bad if it had been cold all along, but to be in the high eighties and then wham! Frostbite! And then, to add insult to injury, it stayed miserably cold with repeated heavy frosts until at least the tenth of April! Condolences to all of you who had your warm season gardens planted. The weather will swing in the opposite direction like a demented weathervane soon enough and we will be miserable with the high temperatures. Sure doesn’t look like we’re going...

Those pesky Granite State gun owners have damaged the anti-gun spin machine of the Violence Policy Center. In a recent news release, the credibility-challenged VPC proclaimed, "Pro-Gun States Lead the Nation in Per Capita Firearm Death Rates.” ... The VPC dares not look at the bottom seven (7) states instead of the arbitrary five (5). That is because, lo and behold, New Hampshire ranks seventh from the bottom in per-capita gun deaths. New Hampshire is undeniably a strong pro-gun state that greatly respects the individual right to keep and bear arms....The VPC also has to purposely limit their selectively picked...

May is a wondrous month, bursting with life and growth and energy, with color and scent and sound, a bittersweet taste of what the Garden of Eden must have been like before the fall from grace. Flowers are coming into their own, birds are nesting and hatching their young, puddles are full of tadpoles. Everything is celebrating the passing of winter and preparing for the long, hot summer ahead. With it’s perfect weather, May is the month to enjoy just being alive. May is time to plant the vegetables that need warmer weather. The soil temperature needs to be at...

This video arrangement is of family pets and the love we receive from our every day life shared with our pets. The song is Southern Gospel, “Saved by the Hands”, sung by Ivan Parker. The pets in our family are cats, dogs, and parakeet. Also in the video, is my wife, some children, some grandchildren and myself.

I have had a week from Hades and will be perfectly honest with you all.........I completely and totally FORGOT about this thread yesterday. And so you all have my heartfelt apologies. My brain is pretty much just mush at the moment and so I am just going to share some of my favorite links.Edible LandscapingYou Grow GirlNational Home Gardening Club

This is an animated video of two Red-Tailed chicken hawks that sing their songs and talk about what the younger hawk has just learned, that chickens are birds just like him. The voices of the hawks are, grandson and myself, o7jimmy. Background is the song of wild birds.

Hey everyone, sorry for another vanity, but I was wondering if anyone had any reccomendations on economical privacy fencing? I have requested quotes from a couple of people, and we really liked the bamboo fencing (mostly because it offered an 8 foot height), but we are open to suggestions. A nosey neighbor has become a problem for us, so we thought a privacy fence would be perfect! We, however, have a lot of dogs, and a half acre to fence, so I would like something durable, yet not too insanely expensive. Anyone with any knowledge in this area please help!

This video was arranged an animated to the song, Hallelujah, sung by: The Five Blind Boys of Alabama. The video pictures are of a Merlin falcon and its song, in autumn scenery, the background photo is of Butchart Gardens; Canada. Autumn is my favorite time of the year.

Taking an early morning walk this time of year is a singular treat, like Dorothy stepping out of Auntie Em’s house into the color and sound of Oz. The same things that are always there, only instead of Winter‘s drabness, Spring’s full and glorious color. Each walk is accompanied by a symphony of birdsong, a riot of color bursting everywhere. Fallen jasmine blossoms scatter themselves on the ground like the famed yellow brick road, and blooming things pop up everywhere like the fabled Munchkins. And then, as if the colors and sounds aren’t enough, just to add a little spice,...

Finally! A web cartoon that is both conservative and apparently a firm backer of gun rights! Check out this comic that provides a great proposal of what to do when your stimulus check arrives!!!

This is an animated video of the Merlin falcon and it’s song. This is created to give you a close up view and the Merlin falcon singing its song.

I haven't had much bandwidth to blog at all, but have been reading with interest (and a little depression) the hoohah about God and guns that Obama has triggered. Most of the obvious points have been covered, but I had a thought which I haven't seen addressed, and it opens an interesting line of argument for me, so I thought I'd toss it out. Here's Obama's original quote: So, it depends on where you are, but I think it's fair to say that the places where we are going to have to do the most work are the places where...

April is a debutante’s ball for green and growing things! Young foliage garbs the trees in gauzy, pastel gowns of gold and green and russet, like a watercolor by an old master. Their subtle color is a poignant reminder and a future foretaste of the fall’s bold leaves of orange and yellow and rust. The wild azaleas will be blooming soon, their delicate apple blossom pink petals shining through here and there and their honey sweet fragrance filling the air. The violets, from the large purple ones with heart shaped leaves to the tiny, almost invisible white ones with lance...

This Gospel song, Hallelujah, by the Five Blind Boys of Alabama, was arranged with the Lord’s creatures, scenic duck pictures.

This video is of a family watching a red-shoulder hawk and the voices are from o7jimmy, wife and grandson. The hawk sound is of a red-shoulder hawk.

Hear the sound of a Merlin Falcon when it sings. This falcon also has killed chickens and has been called a chicken hawk but is really a falcon. This falcon is a very majestic and beautiful bird of prey.

This animated video is presented with bird watchers that one of witch can’t keep quiet.

This animated video is presented with bird watchers that one of witch can’t keep quiet.

This video is good footage of a Red Tailed Hawk, also known as a Chicken Hawk and it’s Song. I redid this video with a little more effects. I'm sure you will enjoy this animated video.

Seed swapping Q. I have a backyard vegetable/fruit/herb garden, and every year I wind up with lots of leftover seeds, more than I can possibly plant next time around, yet throwing them away seems like an awful waste. Is there any established way to share, trade, or recycle seeds? - Jacey, WY A. Absolutely. Seed-sharing has been an officially time-honored tradition since at least 1989, when Canada and Britain founded their respective “Seedy Saturday” and “Seedy Sunday” swaps. And in the US, the last Saturday in January is “National Seed Swap Day,” so start saving your seeds up for January...

Once again, the ‘man-caused’ global warming advocates are over blowing an insignificant event. A shelf of ice from the Antarctic has broken off, (an event that is totally natural by the way) and the Al Gore wannabees are crying bloody murder. The newspapers printed large page long articles about the event and completely ignored the evidence which shows that most of the Antarctic has been cooling and making record ice since the 1970’s. I’m surprised the news paper columnists were even able to type their articles- their hands must have been shaking quite badly when they received the earth shattering...

Wow! February was sure a weather rollercoaster. Not just for us, but for most of the country, and indeed the world, with record snows and cold temperatures recorded in many places. So much for glo-bull warming! Face it, scientists-who-think-you-know-everything! Weather is weather, and mankind has no control over it, no influence on it whatsoever. We can record it, and complain about it, compare this year to that year. Bottom line is—the weather and the climate cycle as they will, hotter sometimes, colder sometimes. Wetter sometimes, dryer sometimes. All the hype, whichever way it goes, sounds suspiciously like a retelling of...

My pet chalky, Glory and dachshund Belle, with O7 Mixed and grandchildren playing in the back yard. Revski

We’ve been told that the ’science is settled’ on climate change, and that ‘man is the cause’ and if we ‘don’t act now’, that we’ll be in big big trouble very soon.... Some state counties are beginning to cash in on the golden goose, playing on people’s emotions and sense of responsibility, and culpability, and they are folk's mistaken sense of guilt as a springboard for enacting ‘green fees’ and carbon credits. These folks are quite vocal and insistent, and are trying to get the laws to tax us passed as quickly as possible because they know their golden goose...

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, I know.......many folks are still covered in snow others are facing other horrendous weather issues. They are all in our thoughts and prayers. HOWEVER - at 1:26 Eastern this afternoon Spring officially begins. Trying to find articles about the first day of spring was practically an impossibility. Oh sure, there were some out there but most of them were real downers, so I decided today might be a great share some of our favorite gardening websites. The categories of gardening and seed catalogs on my favorites list are both as long as my arm, but I grabbed...

ScienceDaily (Mar. 17, 2008) — Far from being a model of social co-operation, the ant world is riddled with cheating and corruption -- and it goes all the way to the top, according to scientists from the Universities of Leeds and Copenhagen.

Hey all! Since my computer decided to eat a couple years worth of my articles, and I’m too lazy to dig out the papers and retype them, I thought I’d just give you a rundown on my greenhouse and answer some of the questions a few of you have been kind enough to ask! I don’t have any formal training, other than a few years of horticulture classes in high school FFA. My grandparents and parents gardened, and I grew up following them around on the farm. I do have a great love for the land and of growing things,...

Grand Haven at night

Web report To help gardeners plan for the coming season, the editors of The Old Farmer's Almanac's annual All-Seasons Garden Guide ($3.99) forecast several trends for this year. "More gardeners want to be environmentally friendly. They want to work with Mother Nature instead of fighting against her. This includes using more natural products, more indigenous plants, less water," says Janice Stillman, editor. Also: -Low maintenance, high-drama gardens: Gardeners are looking for ways to make the most out of their time in the garden. Some solutions include easy-care or self-sufficient plants that are natural beauties. -Lawn-free landscapes: More and more people...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=D99NHb6B03s

March is blustery days and bright sunshine and rain and the smell of warming soil. It seems a magical thing—soil is always there, so how come the right combination of sun and rain and warmth lets us know that it’s time once again to garden? The technical name for the way the soil smells is geosmin—literally earth smell, but magic is close enough. Geosmin is a magic all gardeners are well aware of and accept without question, no matter what you call it. In reality, the smell is caused by a type of bacteria that grows in the soil, called...

Free State Project’s Porcupine Freedom Festival PorcFest 2008! When: June 9th – 15th Where: Gunstock Mountain Resort in Gilford, New Hampshire Who: Liberty activists moving to NH or already there Why: Socialize, learn about NH, meet with Freedom/Liberty lovers for a week, have FUN How: Registration Details are at http://freestateproject.org/festival/ PorcFest 2008 is to showcase New Hampshire and the FSP community. Attendees will be able to choose from events in several categories: * Bus Tours: organized trips to various parts of NH * Outdoors: planned hikes and events exploring the environment of NH * Activism: engage in pro-liberty activism in...

Americans finding soaring food prices hard to stomach are battling back by growing their own food. Home vegetable gardens appear to be booming as a result of the twin movements to eat local and pinch pennies. Although the 2008 planting season is still largely in the planning stages, it appears vegetable seed sales will be up significantly from year-ago figures, said Barb Melera, president of D. Landreth Seed Co., in New Freedom, Pa. "I just came back from the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta and we sold three- to four times the amount of seed packets we did the previous...

ROTFLMAO!!

Need help from you arborist FReepers in identifying what kind of tree this is. Right now it's got a bunch of pussywillow-esque buds on it, but from what I've seen online of pussywillows they look more like bushes, not trees. During the fall it produced a weird-looking pod of some sort. Sorry, don't have a photo of that.