February 24, 2006...It's called "cabin fever"...
 
You know the old saying "when it rains, it pours"? Well, in this part of Wisconsin's Northwoods, with outside temps hovering just below 20 degrees F (up from our -35 wind chills of last weekend) it appears that when it snows, it snows alot! Today's whiteout is comprised of those big fat fluffy flakes that ya used to like to catch on your tongue when you were a kid. For some folks these snowstorms are a great opportunity to get out and ski or snowshoe or snowmobile.

 
Even for those of us whose primary association with snow is simply moving it, plowing, shoveling or snowblowing the white stuff. The early season snowstorms are kind of exciting. Nature coats the ground and the trees with majestic white. Time to fire up the vintage tractor with the huge front-end snow bucket and the wide back blade and mold and sculpt this frozen liquid into huge piles clearing driveways and walkways around the house and garage.
 
However, by late February our smiles of wonder begin to turn into snarls of contempt when constant snows continue daily. What is Nature thinking? In another few weeks all this excess snow will turn to rotting, dirty grey slop. Besides, it's really hard to do meaningful geocaching under these conditions. Ok, I used to ski, I used to ski jump, I used to snowshoe and I used to snowmobile. Can you figure out what the operative words are?
 
Alright, I have to admit that we need the moisture. Lack of snow and adequate rain has reduced the water table over four feet which makes our lake the lowest that even the old-timers can remember. The lake is totally spring fed and it's surface seeks the very same level as the ground table. Even tho it takes roughly 9  of snow to equal 1  of water, and with a 48  deficit it'd take (let's see, 48 times 9 is 432, divide by 12 equals 36) 36 feet of snow to make up the difference. You can bet your boots that this old boy will be sipping Pina Coladas in Acapulco if we ever have a forecast for 36 feet of snow!
 
So I guess I shouldn't complain about having to put on the Carhart gear and firing up the old tractor every few days. But why couldn't we get this snowfall earlier in the season when local businesses that depend on early and strong snows could benefit by the increased seasonal tourist trade?
 
But when you have to sit around playing the waiting game for Spring, "cabin-fever" makes you think of this kind of stuff!
 
Until later.....DKHT

 
February 10, 2006   South Fork Revisited
 
Well, I really did it now!
 
Back in April of 2005, when I first moved my mom to Texas, I spotted a chunk of land about 18 miles southeast of Wichita Falls. I don't mind visiting a town or a city now and again, but I really prefer living in a more rural setting. I'd been considering establishing a 'home base' for my intended RV lifestyle in a state that was tax friendly to RV'ers and to Seniors (I refer to myself as a Senior only when there's an advantage for me, like cheaper movie tickets at the Orpheum or discount coffee at McDonalds). Anyway, South Dakota, Texas and Florida fill the bill. But, as much as I like Florida, everything else is really expensive. I considered South Dakota since you don't have to be an actual resident to take advantage of it's benefits. But I preferred a southern base of operation so I could spend a few winter months near family, then travel north, east and west for the summers.
 
This property had municipal water (REALLY IMPORTANT in this part of Texas) and electricity. The 'ReMax For Sale' sign listed a guy named Fritz Taylor as agent. I called Fritz at the phone number on the sign and explained that I was interested in the property and would appreciate more particulars.
 
Now, I don't know if it's a Texas ReMax thing, or if it's a personal problem with agents named Fritz, but this guy totally blew me off, telling me that "we'd just have to find the right property" for me. Never heard from him again.
 
So this past December/January's trip to Texas, I got to spend some time (and lotsa miles on GeoTruk) exploring the surrounding areas in a 40 mile radius. Yes, there are other parts of Texas that are more appealing in some respects, but I do have family and roots here, and that's important. And after about 800 miles exploring the area thoroughly, I came back to the same property I saw almost a year before. The 'for sale' sign was still there. I called a fellow at Hirschi Realors who had been recommended by my cousin, Steve Ayer. This person was no longer an active agent but put me through to Jay McWhorter who went the extra nine yards to help me out, providing information and additional listings for similar properties.
 
Next I went to the Clay county Courthouse (and County Seat) in Henrietta, TX. and saw the County Clerk, or maybe the Clerk's first line of defense. This office is located in an old vault and is full of huge old books with property records. I was told that I couldn't get information on the property based on the physical description: their records were organized based on the owner's name and last date of sale. I figured that the few computers I saw in this facility were used for paperweights. The gal sent me down and across the street to the assessor's office where my Uncle Al and I waited for about 20 minutes for a fellow that might be able to help. I finally had the opportunity to talk to this fella, explaining that I needed the owner's name and last date of sale for the Cty Clerk. He looked up stuff on his computer, which actually was operational, and said he'd have to look up something else in the archives.
 
Thank goodness my distance vision is still in pretty good shape 'cuz, sitting across the office I was able to get details off his computer terminal regarding the property...not everything, but I did get the owner, assessed value, property dimensions, etc. etc. When the guy came back, he still refused to give me the info I had asked for (does it surprise you that "Freedom of Information" hasn't caught on in George Dub-yah's state?). But I got just enough from my mission to convince the Clerk's office into letting me read restrictions and codicils on the property.
 
I finally made an offer on the original property, and it's been accepted. The check for earnest money is in the mail, and we just have to wait for formalities and final closing.
 
So it looks like I'll be a Texas land baron, although my 'ranch' is just over 10 acres at 1100 feet by 400 feet and consists of some dead mesquite trees, a few live mesquite, lotsa long grass, a patch of prickly pear cactus and some rather large boulders. I also presume there may be assorted rattlesnakes and/or scorpions. The property really needs a controlled burn, but present dry conditions prevent that.
 


 
Oh yeah, they're making me pay real cash money for this place! They wouldn't honor my Choctaw claim to these lands
 
Until later.....DKHT

 
February 4, 2006   In Memorium
 
A few days ago I was saddened to hear of the passing of a lifelong family friend in Florida. It got me thinking about the fact that an entire era of friends is ending.
 
Years ago the communities of Fox River Grove and Cary in Northern Illinois were a bastion for Czech familities. The deep family frendships evolved as the residents joined community organizations and volunteered for local groups such as the rural fire departments and the deputy sheriffs' department. The days following WWII and the Korean War saw a lot of these men and women returning to their hometowns to raise families and form further friendships with fellow service folks from other backgrounds.
 
In the early 50's, most of the guys sought employment mainly in the trades or the few factories in the area, and the gals mainly stayed home to raise families. Those were good days (before Joe McCarthy showed up).
 
Anyway, a bunch of these friends also found a common bond in places to vacation. For awhile, the camper trailer was the vacation mode of choice, and kids would be dragged along to participate at "family group campouts" were the dads sat around the campfires drinking beer and playing polkas on the accordian, while moms were busy with marshmallows for the kids and subtle gossip. Gas was fairly cheap and most of the group had big V-8 'Lead Sleds' which could tow 28 foot trailers at 90 mph through the Rockies (one member was an IL State Trooper)!
 
I was in college by this time and was therefore deferred from many of those trips. But my pals and I were also into camping and canoeing in our own right, and occasionally met up with the "folks".
 
Then, the camping lifestyle was replaced by the permanent vacation home for the folks. Most migrated to this part of Northern Wisconsin, with the then pristine and undeveloped lake properties available. Bob G. and Norma chose property on a lake where Bob's dad had a cabin. Dick and Lois found another property on the same lake and began building their home. My folks, Bill and Earlene, bought a property on an old girl's camp, with a nice, but small cabin. Over the years each of these couples expanded their houses or rebuilt from scratch, looking to these properties as their retirement homes. Soon another Illinois friend/couple, Bob D. and Audriel, joined the group, buying a lakefront lot and having a new house constructed on the same lake that my folks and I were on.
 
Bob D. was the first to leave us from cancer, followed by my wife, Peg, and my doggy pal Fritz from canine leukemia. Norma passed away several years back after a bout with Parkisons. Dick left us following a lingering illness. My dad was lost following a triple surgery a few years back. Then Milt (the State Trooper), my uncle Don B and now Bob G Sr. There are many others from the old camping crew that are gone, as well.
 
Mom is now in Texas, Audriel is in Illinois, and Lois recently moved to the SW to live with her oldest son. The only ones left are myself and Bob G Jr. I intend to move on and Bob Jr's situation will be based on the settlement of his dad's estate.
 
So this is in memory of the wonderful times, the remarkable people and the the great friendships that have come to pass. The memories will linger. It may sound corny, but you had to be here to appreciate the quality of those times.
 
Until later.....DKHT

 
February 3, 2006   Grassroots Reform Redux Reflux
 
My pal Paul reminded me about third party issues (see my last archived January post) wherein he raised a query regarding the Libertarian Party. These folks hold some interesting and desirable stands on government.... but, I've read through their material and I have to take exception to some of their issues.
 
One the plus side, the Libertarians believe in personal freedoms and in reducing goverment involvement. These are important positions and take us back to where our founding fathers attempted to lead this nation.
 
But I don't understand why they want to unilaterally open US trade and immigration without restriction? Other nations have been imposing restrictions on their imports from the US for years, yet we have boosted their economies with our dollars, buying their products at prices that have destroyed the ability of US manufacturers to compete. And when US companies outsource our technical and manufacturing jobs, more citizens lose their jobs, their dignity, their opportunity to earn a living. Immigration is something that needs to be looked at, but with a specific plan, not 1980's statistics and unproven opinions. Call my views "protectionist", but I prefer that to the wholesale selling out of America and its citizens.
 
The Libertarians also believe in eliminating government sponsored welfare in favor of a private donation-based welfare. I agree that welfare needs better definition and control, but doing it without government imposition is plain old wishful thinking. Wonder how they figure that all the people who are out of work are gonna find dollars to contibute? They also want to privatize Social Security. Trouble is, this was a totally stupid idea when George Dub-yah came up with it. Oh, sure, a small percentage of the population will know how to make wise investments. But the mainstay of the population will a) have no idea how to make sound investments and b) not be able to hire financial advisors and pay the resulting costs for investment advice. Disregarding the oddball lucky chance, a lotta people can lose huge amounts on their investments, thus going bankrupt and on welfare, which (guess what!) no longer exists. They then die of starvation and it's up to the government to get rid of their bodies, unless, of course, we outsource that to India where bodies are tossed in the Ganges.
 
And they want to eliminate prohibition of all drugs that are now banned (we're not talking prescription drugs, friends). That's just scary and naive thinking. But if you want to decide for yourself, visit the Libertarians at their website. Be sure to take their short test.
 
So, I'm still searching for a third (perhaps 4th?) party that has the good points of the others without the all the bad.
 
Looks like I'll be searching for a long time since the government tends to act like a giant stupidity magnet. But the search is an admirable quest, and perhaps a few political windmills may be lie fallen by DKHT's mighty pen (?). One can only hope.
 
And yes, it's true. The scientific community has replaced using laboratory rats with using politicians. It appears that the scientists do not form a personal bond with politicians, and, there are some things that even rats won't do! (Courtesy "Hook").
 
Until later.....DKHT