Gracie and me, Covid-19 #4

    The Covid-19 cancellation train just pulled into our station. My youngest son and his fiancé just postponed their April wedding due to Coronavirus.  Joe and Sharon had planned to marry at Battle Mountain Farm in Franklin, Tenn., but now everything is TBD... To be Determined. We all absolutely hate it for them, but fully support their decision.https://www.battlemountainfarm.net/
   
    I suppose one of the many questions that they're asking themselves, like so many others in the same situation is: "Where do we begin"? Then, there's the avalanche of other questions that quickly follow: "What about all our deposits? What about our flowers, food and everything else that's been ordered. What about the paid in full honeymoon in a distant land?"
     We had two bottom lines for Joe. I'd wager other parents had the same two lines for their young, adult children. The first was telling Joe that he made the smart decision. I'm sorry he had to, but I'm proud of him. We told him that he'd have many, many more big weekends in his life but he'd also have his share of downturns. The part one bottom line was, he will persevere.
     Our other bottom line for Joe and all the younger people in our country was: You are not 10-feet tall and bullet proof. Promise me that you'll be aware of what's going on, pay attention and take necessary precautions.

     Talking about Joe gets me to thinking about Joe. He's the child who told me once as we gobbled Big Macs and fries at the Royal Oaks McDonalds in Franklin, Tenn., "Dad, it just doesn't get any better than this." He's also the child who wrapped up a baby goat in his favorite University of North Carolina jacket when we lived in the country and kept our landlord's goats. He's the kid who fell asleep playing the game Hide n' Seek. Then, his mother called me at work frantic that she couldn't find Joe. And, he's the kid who was a walk on football player at Tennessee Tech https://www.tntech.edu/ , but ended his playing days with a full scholarship thanks to his hard work and dedication.
     I'm sure that all the moms and dads with kids in similar wedding cancellation situations like Joe and Sharon are hurting for their children. But these are scary times, there's no getting around that. We're proud of Joe and Sharon for their choice. I'd bet good money other parents feel the same way we do.

     Diet Update: It still sucks. We're having fish tonight. About the only way that I really like fish is fried with a lot of tartar sauce, fries and hush puppies. But, that's not the way we're having it tonight. And to make matters worse, we're not having fries and hush puppies. We're having baked vegetables.
     Here's a question for you. If you could pick any meal for supper tonight from anywhere (homemade or take out,) what would you eat? I'd have a burger and fries from Dearman's in Baton Rouge or maybe the same thing from Georges under the overpass on Perkins Road in Baton Rouge.

     Gracie Update: She's outside right now literally chewing on a tree limb. She's completely oblivious to the goings on in the world. Of course, she doesn't have thumbs so we don't expert a whole lot.

Bill Robertson, if I didn't have the burger and fries--I'd want the Mexican Dinner at El Chico with some nachos. Teresa wants Sweet Shop Steak Fingers (Snyder, America)

Gracie and me: Covid-19 #3

          Hi y'all. I gotta hurry. I have only 40-minutes until supper comes out of the oven. We're on this whacko diet. So, I'm not exactly chomping at the bit to eat but apparently timing is part of the weight loss campaign.
        I wrote yesterday that west Texas weather and Covid-19 have a lot in common. I wrote that seems to change daily. I was wrong. West Texas weather may change daily, but Covid-19 changes hourly.
                                                         (30-minutes to supper)
        The MGM closed it's hotels and casinos. Several states shut down restaurants and bars. The White House issued an advisory to keep gatherings to 10-people or less. All this happened between 8:00am and 2:00pm. We had cloudy skies all day. Nothing changed.
        Today was my day to get a good dose of social distancing and deal with the 10-person advisory. The first caught me off guard. The latter shocked me into reality.
        Here's what happened. I went to the grocery store as usual early this morning. Jonathon, the manager, told me we can hope for more toilet paper on Thursday. Oh crap. I couldn't resist.
                                                        (24-minutes to supper)
       The real developments began on my second trip to town. I had to run a few errands including stamps at the post office. I ran into our local newspaper publishers outside the building. I had a couple questions about the second element of my day as he's the expert on the matter. We talked like we were a couple of seventh graders dancing. We kept our distance and moved in circles, just like I did in 1975. One of our local undertakers was leaving. He offered his hand for a shake and it was the publisher who only offered his elbow. Wow! Bam! There it was. Social distancing first and then the blatant no touching. I felt so rude.
        The second issue is boring but surprising, at least to me. I'm president of our local economic development board. We had to cancel our monthly meeting today due to Covid-19 fears. We tried to find a way to hold the meeting as a teleconference, but we couldn't do that due to the Open Meetings Act.
                                                         (17-minutes to supper)
      Teresa and I remain holed up out in the country. Small town America might be the safest, calmest part of the country. Gracie, the dog, is fine. In fact, I was thinking this might be a good time to be a dog, cow, lamb or any animal.
                                                         (14-minutes to supper)
     Supper's coming up. I wish I were excited. This diet works, but as a true southerner... it's absolutely terrible to not look forward to eating. It sucks and let me explain that. The phrase "It Sucks" has at least two definitions.
     The first definition is literal. It sucks means it really sucks. But the second definition is ironic. For example if you ask me "How did it feel to win the $1,000,000 lottery" and I said, "It didn't suck," means it's great.
     The diet really sucks... but it works.

Bill Robertson
What I wouldn't give for a #1 Combo at McDonalds or at least a good bag of Fritos. (8-minutes to supper)

Gracie & Me: Covid-19 #2

     The news about Covid-19 and west Texas weather have a lot in common. Both can change in 24-hours.

Stormy Snyder Texas

     We had a rare, beautiful day yesterday. The skies were blue, the temperature hovered in the cool range and the wind didn't blow. That's what we call a good day. But within 24-hours and just like the news about Covid-19, we had new developments. Our weather changed from the perfect to the nasty, just like the quickly changing news of the virus that for a reason unbeknownst to me appears named after a Mexican beer.
     I started writing this particular blog because someone on Facebook said to use this time of crises and fear to do something productive. I figured, why not keep a daily journal(ish) and share it as a blog.
     This is the third day of the Covid-19 Serious Scare. That's what I'm calling it. I've changed my daily shopping habits to practice 'social distancing.' I wouldn't say I'm running scared, but I'm definitely on alert. So to that end, I've started shopping during the early morning hours at our local grocer. It's a good and bad thing.
     It's good because, I can get in and out in mere minutes. It's bad because I haven't seen anyone I really know. That's good because I don't have to visit or more precisely not stand within six feet of anyone and I don't have to shake hands. It's bad because, I don't get to visit and I don't get to shake hands. WE don't get to visit and shake hands.(pix)

No Chicken-No Turkey, Snyder TX

     I wish I could report about significant updates at our local grocer, but I can't. The toilet paper and paper towel aisle are still empty, the canned goods are running low and the frozen vegetables are almost gone too. Strangely, all the healthy stuff in frozen foods is still very well stocked. Today, I needed cauliflower rice and I had two or three whole shelves to choose.
     Speaking of cauliflower rice, I needed that stuff because of this whacko diet we're taking. The diet works, but the food choices are absolutely the worst. Before I begin my tirade about healthy eating, there's one thing I should be honest about. I'm a craver. There, I said it.

Big Mac, Snyder TX

     I crave Big Macs. I know the secret sauce is just Thousand Island, but I'll never forget the time that my youngest son, Joe, and I were sharing a number-1 at a McDonalds and he said, "Dad, it just doesn't get any better than this." I'll never, ever forget that moment.  I crave Krispy Kreme doughnuts so much that I can taste them when I go to bed. I crave Kraft macaroni and cheese, but with A-1. Oooh, it's so good. I crave my homemade, mini Muffaletas. I crave nachos with lots of jalapenos. I'm a craver. So to eat 'fuelings,' as they're called, that taste similar to paste and then get only one real meal a day that's mostly vegetables is kind of like going to the dentist. Terrible! But, I gotta admit the diet works. There! I vented!
     Gracie, the dog, is good. She's kind of bored with us just sitting around waiting for the world to end, but she's chewing sticks, gnawing on rocks and chasing the occasional varmit. She's a good girl.

Bill Robertson, starving!
Update: I went back to the store because I forgot something. They had chicken, turkey and some beef. I said to the meat manager, "Looks like you're back in business." He quietly and cautiously replied, "At least for now."

Gracie & Me: Covid-19, #1

     I'm sitting here at The Windmill Ranch in Snyder, Texas or Paradise on the Plains as I like to call it, and it's hard to imagine that half the world is shutdown and all the world is waiting for the left foot to drop due to the Coronavirus  Pandemic. Covid-19 is changing lives, ours included.

The Windmill Ranch, Snyder Texas

     
         We're having a beautiful spring day. The sky's clear. The temperature is good. We've had a good dose of rain. And most importantly, the usually ubiquitous wind is NOT blowing. For us, this is a great weather day!
         So here we sit wondering 'what in the world is going on in the world'? What are we supposed to do? What's the smart thing to do? What about church tomorrow or the meeting I have next week? What about the grandkids? What about our kids who live in bigger cities and don't watch the news?
        I want to make it clear that we are not panicking. But, I also know because I worked in the TV new business for 16-years, that while TV news groups salivate over blowing stories out of proportion, I've NEVER worked with any newscaster who intentionally lied or distorted the facts. So what I'm saying is; This is real folks. What are you going to do with it?
        Someone posted on Facebook "Why not make a list of things you hope to do." So, here I am. I hope to write. Why not write about what you know or experience? That's what a college professor once told us.

United Grocery Store, Snyder Texas

     The panic buying in the bigger cities has been documented, but it's in small town America too. Take a look at the picture on the left. That's our grocery store in a town of 11,202 people.
     I go to this store everyday. By name, I know the managers, the cashiers, the produce men, the deli ladies. I raise one finger and I get one pack of cigarettes. I raise two fingers and I get two packs of cigarettes. I'm not proud of that, but I know this store and even around Thanksgiving I have not seen crowds like this.
        Now, I go to the store before 8:30am to beat the crowds and to avoid people. So no question, Covid-19 is changing our lives.

     The Great Toilet Paper Depression is also affecting us in small town America.

United Grocery Store, Snyder Texas

     I took the picture on the right on the Wednesday before the proverbial 'crap hit the fan.' As you can see, the cheap stuff was already taken. The double and triple ply remained on the shelves. This morning, ALL of it was gone.
     This morning, I noticed all the fresh chicken is gone too and only the expensive beef is still on the shelf. Strangely though, there's still lots of fresh produce, canned goods and even bottled water. Also, the fears are apparently not affecting beer and wine sales.

     I'm not real sure what Teresa and I will do in the coming days. I'll probably write about it and hopefully include a few pictures to illustrate what we're seeing.
   

On a Diet

          One thing we are doing that's completely unrelated to Covid-19 is, we are on a diet. Teresa wanted to lose weight. My doc told me "to shrink." Seriously, that's what he said!
          He's Egyptian with the shiniest head you've ever seen. He talks and moves real fast, but he's a pretty cool guy.
          The picture to the left is our food. The front, left basket contains the 'snacks.' The center basket is the 'soup.' The right, front basket has the 'breakfast/snack bars,' the back, right has the 'starches' and the back, left basket has other 'stuff.'
         The bottom line is; It is like eating paste, chalk, drywall or paper. As someone who grew up in the deep south where food is absolutely everything, it is now a terrible, terrible disappointment to dread what's for dinner. But, I think it's working. I've lost 17-pounds. T's lost 22 and kept it off. I'm sleeping better and I can drive through McDonald's without completely craving a Big Mac (the BEST!)

     Gracie the dog is good. She's walking with us as we take this diet challenge on the road. Like I said earlier, we've had a good dose of rain. Unfortunately, Gracie's found just about every mud puddle to take a break.

Bill Robertson, craving just about anything that's not on this tasteless diet. ANYTHING!
         
       
 

The Day After Christmas & Sad Cows

     Is the day after Christmas the worst day of the year? I always thought so, especially as a kid. I was driving around today, which happens to be the day after Christmas, and I got to thinking about the holiday from a couple perspectives. One train of thought focused on Christmas now as an adult. The other thoughts dialed it back a few decades to me as just a kid.

     The first time I heard the great expression 'Don't count your chickens before they hatch' was on a Christmas morning. I was probably 10-years old and we were living in San Antonio, Texas. My older sister, Laura, and I were going downstairs to see what Santa had brought us. Laura, who I'm pretty sure didn't want any part of her little brother so early in the morning, wasn't nearly as excited as me.
     Me: "I bet we got bikes!!!"
     Laura: "Don't count your chickens before they hatch."
     Me: "What's that mean?"
     Laura: "We probably didn't get bikes."
     I may not have known the meaning of when chickens do or don't hatch, but I was about 10-steps ahead of Laura. In fact, I was at least a good hour ahead of Laura. What she didn't know and what I DID KNOW is that we did in fact get bikes from Santa! How did I know? I knew because it was my regular practice in those days to wake-up earlier than the rest of the house and sneak down for a Santa preview. So, I guess that means I had enough since to check my chickens and make sure they hatched.

     Another thing I remember as a kid is feeling sad for cows on Christmas morning. It was definitely a quirky thing, but very real for me. I'm not sure when I first noticed my bovine empathy, but to be honest it still exists to some degree even now.
     I noticed it this morning. Granted, it's the day after Christmas but that twinge of Angus angst was still there. I don't have the same feeling for horses. They always seem more social to me... more frolickly. I definitely don't have the same sentiment for dogs and cats, probably because they most likely have the run of the house. But for cows, maybe pigs and sheep too, it's a real feeling. I guess it's because even if it's not Christmas, but more definitely on Christmas, cows always look sad.
     So my logic must have been that on the one day that's the pinnacle of excitement for children, it must have hurt my heart a little to think a cow had absolutely no idea what it felt like to get presents.

     My beef with the day after Christmas is easy to analyze. Seriously what kid would like the day AFTER the best day? The day after Christmas means there are 364 more days till Christmas. I really can't express clearly enough my disdain for December 26th.
     You'd think that was then, this is now. Surely, the day after isn't on my 'day-dislike' list anymore. But oh, it is. I felt it today driving through the pasture seeing the big, black cows primed to pop with their calves. That sight made me sad for the cows which reminded me it was December 26th which got me thinking that I shouldn't count my chickens before they hatch. For at least a little while, I was 10-years old all over again.

Bill Robertson, I'm also not a big fan of Tuesdays.

   

   

Teresa's 60th, Red River, NM & The Great Bait Debate

T's 60th/Red River, NM

     We did a thing. Or as many of us would say in wild and wonderful West Texas, we did a thang.

     Teresa and I loaded up and met the family, not all of them but a bunch of them, for her 60th birthday celebration in Red River, New Mexico.... elevation 8,750 feet. I'll explain the significance of the altitude in the coming paragraphs.

     T's wish for her birthday was to have her children and grandchildren all in the same place at the same time. Thanks to one text from me to daughter Ashton and daughter in law Kayci, the wish came true. Thank you girls!!

     It would be a tremendous understatement to say we made some great memories. We spent three full days together. Every hour included a memory. But Teresa and I agree that the funniest memory comes from the day the dads in the families, Bobby and Cody, wanted to take us all fishing.
     There were two ponds within walking distance of our cabin, but Capresto Lake at 9,131 feet was calling. Again, there's the altitude sentence.

Capresto Lake/New Mexico

     Capresto Lake is exactly how it looks in the picture... Fantastic! It's not that big but it's tucked away in a narrow mountaintop valley.          The water's so cold that Ashton's description reminded me of a glass of ice water. The ice has melted, but the water temperature is cold enough to make children squeal and adults shriek with likely vulgarity if there's ever a big splash.  

     Getting to this mountaintop fishing hole was no easy task, but Bobby and Cody covered every detail or so we thought. And that's where the Great Bait Debate begins.

The Great Bait Debate/Capresto Lake, NM

     Here's what happened. The big boys as we call 'em because we're a lot older, planned the adventure, got the licenses, rented the poles and packed most of the gear. The little kids all got suckers while we waited. Halli dropped her lollipop and it ended up with a lot of hair on it. That's another story.
     The details took awhile, but eventually we packed up two vehicles and headed up the trail. Imagine 45 minutes to one hour on the bumpiest/narrowest  roads you've ever ridden.         We lived. We unloaded children, chairs and grandparents and walked down a rocky/steep trail to this really incredible vista.
     I think our goal was to catch dinner but more importantly make memories. We succeeded in spades on the latter.
   

           I wish I had an audio recording for the above picture. That's Cody on the left. Kayci's in the forefront. Bobby's on the far right with his head turned toward Kayci. Tillie, with the bright blonde hair is playing with rocks and lil' Halli's ready and waiting in that first chair. Here's the conversation... at least how I remember it.

Cody: "Where's the bag with the bait?"
Kayci: "What bag?"
Cody: "The white bag I gave you."
Kayci: "What? I didn't know what was in it. I left it at the cabin."
Bobby:" Wait. We don't have the bait?"
Halli: "You forgot the bait?"
Kayci: "I didn't forget the bait!"

     By this time, we're all roaring with laughter and Tillie's still playing with rocks, but it gets even better.

Bobby: "Anybody got gum? I know people who fish with gum. Something shiney."
Bill: "I have some Nicorette."
Teresa: "No! That's too expensive."
Halli: "I have Gummy Bears."
Bobby: "That might work."
Halli: "Want me to throw some crackers into the water to attract the fish?"
Cody: "Can't hurt."

     The bottom line is... We did fish with gum and Gummy Bears and Halli crunched up crackers to attract the fish. We didn't get a nibble. but I think we all spoke and heard sentences that we never expected: "Anybody got gum" and "Gummy Bears might work."

     The honest truth is we did bait hooks with gum and Gummy Bears and Halli did crunch up a bunch of crackers. And best of all, the moms and dads fished with the children. It was a sight to see.

Ashton & Avery/Capresto Lake, NM

     In fact, the best caster awards go to Ashton and five year old Avery. Ashton took that rod n' reel and whipped it sidearm like she was kin to Bill Dance (you'll get that if you're old enough.) Then, Avery took ahold of the Zebco, arced a big loop and gently dropped her Gummy Bear in the lake, just off the rocky bank.
      But alas, the mountaintop trout probably wanted whatever was left in the white bag that was left back at the cabin, on top of the ice chest just inside the back door that included Moonpies, Cheetos, Baked Lays and my low sodium peanuts.

People of the Red Willow Pueblo/Taos, NM

     We made a lot of memories in The Land of Enchantment, including our day trip to Taos.

     I guess I was the unofficial tour guide, but I wasn't very good. I told all the kids, that is the lil' ones, that the church in photo was built in 1610. Carson and Jet, the two oldest were impressed. Then, I looked back at the tour map and realized I was wrong. I had read about the much older, off limits church. The church in the photo dated back to only 1800-something.
     I admitted my mistake. The good news was, both boys did the math and I'm pretty sure realized that they too were making some fun, everlasting memories with their grandmother. I'm pretty sure lil' Tillie (2 yrs) didn't hear a word that I said.

Bill Robertson
As for the elevation... Breathing in Snyder at 2,350 feet is like taking your breath through a big megaphone. Breathing in Red River at 8,750 feet is like breathing through a three-quarter inch hose. Breathing at Capresto Lake, while walking up hill, is like breathing through a fat straw like we had back in the days of the 7-11 Slurpee. I always got a Coke & Cherry mix, by the way.


   

Gracie & Me #7; Bad Dog and the 4th of July

        All good things come to an end. If it sounds to good to be true then it probably is. That's the way the cookie crumbles. Those are all clichés and now all are absolutely applicable to Gracie and her days at The Scurry County Golf Course.

Gracie/Scurry Co. Golf Course

     Yep, that's right. The mysterious stray who showed up on our porch one evening and became our dog, complete with spaying, shots, a new collar, toys, treats and even a giant kennel, showed her true colors this week... on just about every hole!
     So as of July 17, 2019, she's officially banned from playing golf... at least until she realizes I have thumbs and she doesn't.
     She's not banned by the course. I'm pretty sure nothing's really banned at the SCGC. She's banned by me and Teresa and I'm pretty sure with the full support of her very patient Uncle Marvin. It's a shame too because her first few forays on the fairways were really pretty good. But with each visit to the course, Gracie became more and more cocky, for lack of a better word.
     I snapped the photo to the left just a moment too late. Gracie had been nose deep in a 'nine-liner' hole. Nine liners are little ground rodents that scurry all across the course. When Gracie sees one, all discipline goes out the window and that's just one of the issues with Gracie playing golf.
     Let's face it, she's a dog. So, she chases just about everything including shadows. One recent outing, she chased a shadow all over Hole #8. It was actually a dove flying back and forth from tree to tree.😆 That's okay if she's out of our shot line. Unfortunately, Gracie began the habit of circling us at every tee box. Then when we were on the green, she began waiting til precisely the last moment before getting up and walking across our putting line.

July 4, 2019/Grandbury, Texas

     First though, we had a great July 4th with my son, Jack, and our daughter in law, Allison.
     They were moving back to Nashville from San Diego. They're travel plans came right to us. So, we all headed to Grandbury, Texas for a lil' RnR for the big, holiday weekend.
     A great visit just doesn't do it justice. We rented an Air BnB that was perfect. Grandbury was practically perfect in every way and the young Robertsons showed up excited and ready for their new chapter in life.

Jack & Allison Robertson/Grandbury TX, 2019

     We ate. We drank. We visited and Allison even taught us how to play Texas Hold 'Em. I'd call it our best visit with the young Robertsons. It'll be hard to beat.
     It's funny how when children get older and self sufficient the conversations and certainly the time together dwindles. I think Harry Chapin even wrote about it "The Cats in the Cradle" back in 1974. The bottom line is/was, the child's grown up and time is very limited.. just like it was when their parents grew up. But in this one instance, in this one weekend, we all together owned that time and it was indeed a great time.
   
     Now back to the dog... All of Gracie's golf course shenanigans would have been excusable except she began to ignore my cues like: "Here," "Come" and "Stay." Of course I know that still sounds trivial except.... The Scurry County Golf Course is bordered on the south and east by two, busy roadways. They're not highways, but both have heavy, fast moving traffic. So while I think I could put up with her oblivious wondering and Uncle Marvin could too at least to a lesser extent, Gracie's banned from playing golf because what if a shadow crosses the road seconds before a fast moving oilfield truck? Here's a text conversation I had with Teresa only a short while into Gracie's last golf outing.

The Gracie File

     The last part about pre-heating the oven to 375-degrees isn't important. That was a supper issue. It's the middle of the stream that's most eye opening, at least for us.
     T found an article about 'why my dog likes to run.' The article specifically addressed Labradors. Gracie's not a pure bred, but she's definitely part water dog.
     Anyway, the experts said when these dogs get to be about one year old and Gracie is about a year old, they tend to be distracted, disobedient and wonder. That's Gracie... SPOT ON!😡
     Long story short is, we must make Gracie think we hung the moon, invented sliced bread, started the first fire and somehow managed to create the wheel. We gotta be her be all and end all. As it turns out, it's not that hard because there's one absolute key to getting your dog to stay, come, sit, heel and more and it's summed up in one simple word. FOOD!
     I've begun carrying around a baggie of dog treats in my pocket, rewarding Gracie at practically everything. Immediately, she began sticking to me like white on rice. She's still not ready to go play golf, but she is learning that I have thumbs and she doesn't.

Bill Robertson