The War Is Over

Last week, I popped my arch nemesis, The Squirrel (pictured below), a couple of times with some bird shot loads from my .22 caliber semi automatic rifle. I thought he was done. I thought he ran up the tree and died there, leaving his squirrel skeleton as a warning to other rodent passersby. It seems I was wrong.

It takes a lot of squirrel cahones to walk on the ledge of the window right in front of me. It's as though he's mocking my earlier pellet gun attempts on his life as weak and useless and my bird shot rounds as collateral damage. Meanwhile, he engineers further attempts to violate and peruse my bird feeders. Anyway...

Today he died. I used four .22 caliber copper jacketed hollow points and took his squirrel ass out. He is done. He is no more. His bird feeder molesting days are over. I removed his carcass to a shallow grave in the trees east of the house with my deceased squirrel removal tool (DSRT), aka, a shovel.

Domestic terror of this level must be met by overwhelming force. I will no longer hurl pellets and bird shot and a persistent rodent enemy. I have won my war on domestic terror. The Squirrel is dead.

Next....  

An Unusual Fishing Event

I was working the Saylorville Dam outlet today and a strange thing happened. I caught a channel cat on a Roostertail spinner. He was not very big, but when you're fishing for walleye, it's a surprise.

l

Outside

I sat outside on the east deck tonight by the fire watching the sprinkler system do it's thing. Life is good.

The Mexicans Have Done It Again

I have always enjoyed Mexican beers, but this one is unusual. Give it up for Modelo Chelada.

With the refreshing flavors of tomato, salt, lime, tamarind and chipotle peppers, it goes down smooth with a slight afterburn on the tongue and lips. There is tartness from the lime and the tomato juice brings it all together. It low alcohol (3.3 ABV) and very refreshing on a hot day. I'm thinking it would be good to wash down a few tacos. Try one. I think you will like it. Get it good and cold. Sit out on the deck and sip it; and shoot a few squirrels too.    

Strange Perennials And Other Stuff

Centaurea Montana

My friend, Beth, says this is a Centaurea plant. It's beautiful. I'm lead to believe they come in other colors. I think I will get some of them for next year. I like'em. I'm not sure what the next one is, but I like it too. It would be hilarious if it turned out to be a weed.

I got the waterfall going...kind of beautiful.

This is proving to be a fun place to live. I hope I can stay awhile before I die. Someone has to be here to deport the illegals to Yellow Banks...

This possum was kind of old and lethargic like me. Someday I will get deported to Yellow Banks too I suppose. They're gonna need a bigger trap though.

I Have To Get The Lawn Mowed Before It Rains

Good Job Tim

We had our annual outdoor church service today. By all accounts it was very good. Red Roots lead the song service, apparently held over from the concert that followed the annual meat smoking competition on Saturday.

The sermon, however, was unusually good. Our new worship team leader spoke and his skills amazed me. If it did not effect the rest of the Body in the same manner, I would be surprised. I am known to be quite critical of preachers as a former 'wanna be'. I will cut them some slack the first time out, but Tim, you needed no slack. It was more than professional. I felt like you were talking to me, even though we were outdoors with hundreds of others.

And I guess maybe you were. I have never given God thanks for my weakness as you suggested I do today. I blamed Him for it. I got mad at Him about it. I let it keep me from doing things I could probably be doing. All because, even though everybody knows what my weakness is, I am still ashamed and I feel that people look at me and walk away thinking about what could have been if I had just been like everyone else.

I am not and never will be like all of you. I am sorry if that diminishes who I am as a Christian person in your eyes. I am not pleased with it either.  I have asked God to fix this since before I was a teenager. It was not happening and at almost 60 years old, I doubt it will. I used to think He hated me. I have since come to believe He tolerates me with exceptions. I do not understand Him. There is much in my skills repertoire that could have been useful to Him. Instead, He just gave me a lifetime fight that requires every ounce of my will and has destroyed all my emotions.

Why would I thank Him for that? To what purpose was I supposed to use my "weakness"? It has kept me humble, or at least as humble as I can be...I am a bit self absorbed sometimes.

But again, would I be so self absorbed if I did not always have to fight this battle?

I don't know.

Anyway Tim, you made me think. That is no minor achievement. I will consider giving thanks for my weakness. It just seems so inappropriate.