I'm thinking of becoming a Libertarian.

Politics in NC. is a trip. I have an incumbent Republican candidate for Congress who is as crooked as a dog's hind leg. The Democrat is some out of state opportunist. According to my NRA magazine I should vote for the Republican. According to James Dobson I should vote for the Republican. The race has come down to a war of T.V. commercials over who has the most pharmaceutical company stock. Personally I think anyone that doesn't have some Pfizer stock in their portfolio should get a new broker. Let me see a candidate that refuses to take ANY prescription drugs and maybe I'll vote for him. The race must really be close for our House seat since the North Carolina Republican Committee sent me this flyer. Is that supposed to be Carol and I in the picture? These two look like a ad for Prozac. They forgot to put the can of dog food on the table. Perhaps the Republicans don't really have any issues so they have followed the Dems down the road of fear-mongering. I'll just hold my nose and vote for the crooked Republican incumbent; after all, the cover of my American Rifleman magazine told me to.

Trick or Treat

Since our children are emotionally damaged because they were not allowed to celebrate Halloween, we have decided not to repeat the mistake with Bo. Bo has his special Halloween scarf and we are going to take him around trick or treating. He is even scarier than usual, sporting his jaunty black cat covered bandanna. I know there is no hope for the children now that they are adults, but we will not make the same mistake again. We will let Bo enjoy the Devil's Holiday with the rest of the neighborhood.

First Frost

Our temp dropped down to 31'F last night. Bo and I were out for our morning walk. Time for the gloves and the hoody. I hear Buffalo got a dusting of snow. Twenty inches and they want to declare a state of emergency; what a bunch of pansies. Snow in Buffalo; that's a shocker! We did light our gas log for about 20 minutes this morning, just to take the chill off. The leaves are turning and the Blue Ridge Parkway is full of nature lovers and photographers. We took Bo on a hike up at Mount Pisgah. Carol took this picture of me being transfigured.


There has been a bit of a shake-up in our little Nazarene Church. Our associate pastor/school administrator/sunday school teacher/organ player and her husband resigned. They will be missed. So we all are wearing a couple more hats. Carol and I are going to teach Sunday School and Carol is in charge of fundraising for the school and I'm part-time sound engineer. I'm having to learn Power-Point and it stresses me out because the pastor's wife always changes up the music as the spirit leads. Today I had my first soloist with C.D. accompaniment. The pastor insists on me using the four remote controls; even when the equiptment is right at my finger tips. So this morning I'm following directions and after the soloist is finished I hit the stop on the remote for the C.D. player about five times and figure it's stopped. By this time the pastor is back at the podium and the next track bellows out in a deep baritone voice "And Now Ladies and Gentleman". I hit the stop button on the player itself but by now the whole congregation is hysterical. It took the Pastor about 5 minutes to compose himself and start the message. It was a typical "Nazarene Moment". We actually did have a new young couple with children visit our church last Sunday. That was the service when our associate pastor read her resignation letter. Well Carol made a run right up the middle after the service to meet them and assure them that this was not our usual service (more weeping than a funeral) but I don't think we will see them again. Well, eighteen months ago the church was about to close, so we really have come a long way. We just need God to send us about two dozen souls to fill the pews. But by the way, the school is doing great.

Deep Impaction

It was a beautiful fall day in Asheville. It was about 60 degrees and sunny with a cool 20 mph breeze. We took Bo to the Asheville Arboretum. This is a big park with botanical gardens, nature trails, green houses, reflecting pools etc. We were walking a trail when about 25 yards above us a flock of 10 people went buy on Segways. We could only see their top half and with their beanie helmits on it looked like something from a sci-fi movie. I thought maybe it was a band of outlaw Segwayers terrorizing the bird watchers, but later I found out you can rent Sedgeways in the park. Only in Asheville. Right now Bo is lying here comatose after a 4 mile walk at 6 am at Fletcher Park, a 2 mile hike at the Arboretum and an 2 mile walk this afternoon back at the park.

Speaking of Bo. Last sunday morning I was at the park at 6:30 am, at the break of day for his exercise. As usual I grab one of the bio-degadeable pooh bags the town provides. We go about 50 feet when Bo stops to do his business. I stop and wait. I notice he keeps circling forever. After a minute I lean over to check, and he has a turd stuck. Usually his turds are skinny little things like those old Guinea-Stinker Italian cigars. This was like a golf ball. Now I'm thinking Carol is home getting ready for church, practicing her solo and the last thing she is going to want to do is help me with this mess. I also thinks this is going to create a mess in the car. Then a light goes off in my head. Fletcher Park has wonderful restrooms ; complete with heat, hot water paper towels and soft-soap. And of course right outside is that box full of pooh-bags. So I grab a handfull of bags and take him inside. I get the water real hot put a pooh-bag over my hand , get alot of soap on it and take Bo over to the changing table. I wrapped his leash around my arm and with the same hand yanked up his tail and went to work. I'm just finishing cleaning up his little tush when some guy comes in with his 7 year old daughter. Why do men bring their little girls into the men's room? They do the same thing at the pool. Anyway next time I think he will just take his chance on sending her into the ladies room alone. I'm sure this happens everyday in Asheville.