prune picker

This is the blog of a prune picker. (Native born Californian) Retired oilfield. I am an old man. I blog a lot about my body and getting old. As I approach death life gets more interesting. More interesting is not good. I still drive. I attend sports, music, and civic events. I am writing my memoirs. I attend swim class three times a week. Some of my blogs might be interesting. A lot of my blogs are silly and trivial. None are very long.

Sunday, January 31, 2016

John is a crawfish boil chef!

After years of paying $2 per pound for the dealer to boil his crawfish, John decided to invest in the equipment for boiling his own. Last night he tried it out. Lucky me! I was there for the excellent food. There was great fellowship around the pot  plus a big saving.





So delicious. The new potatoes and fresh corn cooked in the spicy crawfish boil. I love them.


Picture by Joy.




Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Does Eat Place. My third trip to Greenville, MS for the best steak in America. 1/26/2016.

I have had the same driver all three trips. Skip Russell. It is a three hour drive each way. It is a trip into the area where the Blues were Born.  (The Mississippi Delta) It is a pleasant six hour ride with great Southern conversation. As the title of this blog states, Does serves the best steak in America,


These three gentlemen were my fellow visitors to Does last night.


Designated driver Skip Russell. When he is not driving my friends and I to Does, Skip is a small horse breeder and dealer, insurance man, landlord (Skip says Slumlord), and laundromat tycoon.


Jewette Farley. Jewette was Parish Assessor for 24 years. He is now a buyer and seller of everything and an eminent lecturer on assessing subjects. (He conducts four day classes on some dozen subjects) He is one of the best fishermen in the area.


Richard Maxwell is one of the natives of Arkansas that I have the pleasure of knowing. He was a demo specialist in the Army, an independent contractor for obtaining explosives for the Army, and had a business that did property title research.

What a pleasant group! I enjoyed the ride. Here is a picture of the new bridge over the Mississippi. It is much appreciated. The old bridge was a rickety narrow two lanes.


Arrival picture.




Just inside the door the steaks are cooking. Notice the fire is above the steaks. Is that the secret?


I love the salad. The dressing if oil, vinegar, and garlic.


Skip's two pound rib eye. He took half home.


My ten ounce filet. I took a third home.


Part of the atmosphere of Doe's is that an armed guard is posted at the front door. Does is in a tough neighborhood. I did not see him when we went in. He was there when we came out. I took picture below as we were driving away.











Sunday, January 24, 2016

A dog named Rusty.

I recently reported the arrival of a new puppy at the Adam's home. One evening Kerry texted out to John that she had noticed that the puppy did not like Fox News. John texted back that he was naming the puppy O'Reilly. You may guess that Kerry and John do not agree on Fox News or O'Reilly.


A day or so later Kerry remarked that the puppy's name was not going to be O'Reilly. John bravely said "he is my dog and I can name him".


Later Kerry suggested Rusty would be a  good name for the puppy.


A day or so later John said the puppy's name is Rusty. We all agree that Rusty is a nice name for the rusty colored puppy.

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Final touch on driveway culvert repair.

This is a photo of the foundation of the repair job. Note the grandchildren names in the cement.


This is the final touch. Good looking job, hih? John does good work.



Friday, January 15, 2016

Big excitement on HWY 544!

John put an add on Facebook for a Labrador puppy.The recent passing of his black lab Midnight left a big hole after loving us for eleven years. Last Wednesday John brought home the answer to his add.





This guy has caused much excitement. What is nicer than a new puppy? The family in West Monroe is making a trip over to Ruston tomorrow to see John's new puppy.

I have a cat, named Patches, that came out of the woods about a year ago. I have been trying to get her to be a loving pet. At least lay in my lap once in a while. No luck. She sleeps on my bed at night and eats my food but hardly any loving time. Well the puppy has made a big change in her.

For two hours yesterday morning I held the puppy on my lap while John went to Tech and worked out. Last night and today Patches has volunteered to jump on my lap and rub her head on me. The puppy has taught her her how to be a loving pet. (Jealousy?)



Thursday, January 14, 2016

Rosa and Rhonda Report.

I was in Monroe the other day to the VA Clinic. I called Rosa and asked her to meet me for lunch. She did even better. She met me and brought Rhonda with her! We had a nice visit and lunch at Newts. They are busy moving all the stuff left over from their just closed Harts Corner store. Hard working ladies. I talked them into  having a selfie with me.

 

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Tommy Ledford is 34,698 days old today!

That is 95 years. He has seen some water go under the bridge. He is a dear old friend. I have known him since 2007. It is a pleasure being with him. Everyone feels the same. Half the town went through his living room today to wish him a happy 95th birthday.

The Mayor of Ruston declared the day Tommy Ledford Day.


While I had my calculator out I found out that I will be 95 in 1,650 days. Wonder if I will make it.




Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Northeast Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Society. Meeting of January 10, 2016.

Alma Joan Taylor gave an interesting presentation of the live of women in the Confederacy during the Civil War. Especially about food scarcity and clothes wearing out. It was a grim life.


Mrs Taylor is President of the Louisiana Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy.

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Arcadia RR Station Music Jam. 1/9/2016

Reasonable Facsimile and Garland Williford played and sang for us today. Good show. Join us on every second Saturday.



Reasonable Facsimile 


Garland Williford









Vital Signs to 1/10/2016

Will see my Doctor tomorrow for a yearly check up. We are both involved in keeping me alive. It is kinda of an interesting job. My 95th birthday is in 1654 days on July 20, 2020. Pretty good goal, huh?

We will see what Doctor Carter thinks about these vital signs. I think that my blood pressure is pretty good. Too much weight, but I am somewhat keeping it constant. Would like to loose 20 or 30 pounds.

In preparation for my appointment with Doctor Carter tomorrow I had a blood workup done. I gave a blood sample at the Shreveport VA Hospital last week. (Was there on other business.) Doctor Carter is located at the VA Clinic in Monroe. On the evening of the day I gave the sample Doctor Carter phoned me at home (in the evening) and discussed the blood test work up with me. She advised me to double my Vitamin D3 dose. I was very pleased with the fast turn around and attention paid to my blood test. I am very happy with the medical care that I have received from the VA and particularly Doctor Carter.

Date
BP before rest
BP
after
rest
Temp
Weight
Steps
10/6/2015
155/73
134/64-70
97.8
246.5
2600
10/7/2015
147/99
145/67-71
97.8
245.5
4100
10/8/2015
161/77
133/60-71
97.9
245.5
6000
10/9/2015
156/64
142/67-77
98.3
245.3
4400
10/10/2015
167/69
134/68-71
98.1
244.3
3200
10/11/2015
167/84
142/75-67
97.7
244.3
2000
10/12/2015
150/77
124/69-76
98.2
246.1
1500
10/13/2015
162/76
139/72-69
97.8
246.1
2700
10/14/2015
169/82
140/73-72
97.8
247.5
2000
10/15/2015
170/74
155/76-77
98.0
248.3
2100
10/16/2015
176/74
135/76-77
98.0
248.3
2300
10/17/2015
190/83
138/73-71
98.1
247.3
2900
10/18/2015
146/89
141/70-70
97.7
245.9
3100
10/19/2015
179/99
159/74-69
97.6
247.3
1900
10/20/2015
154/75
142/62-70
97.6
246.6
3400
10/21/2015
146/69
130/68-75
97.8
248.1
1300
10/22/2015
138/66
125/57-71
98.1
248.7
2400
10/23/2015
160/74
128/67-71
98.0
248.0
2300
10/24/2015
143/62
122/60-73
98.5
248.0
3100
10/25/2015
147/75
122/63-69
98.3
249.2
1100
10/26/2015
161/77
138/68-67
97.8
250.6
1200
10/27/2015
154/74
133/72-65
97.9
250.5
2600
10/28/2015
158/74
142/73-64
97.72
250.0
2000
10/29/2015
168/81
145/72-67
97.7
249.5
3600
10/30/2015
165/83
127/65-65
98.0
250.3
900
10/31/2015
156/72
121/62-64
97.8
250.1
3100
11/1/2015
174/79
154/72-67
97.8
249.6
2200
11/2/2015
171/76
129/70-64
98.1
247.9
1900
11/3/2015
155/69
113/59-64
98.0
248.9
2800
11/4/2015
145/71
140/65-65
98.0
249.5
2100
11/5/2015
144/79
145/69-65
98.1
250.3
4500
11/6/2015
142/73
133/65-61
97.9
250.3
2900
11/7/2015
158/79
126/66-63
97.9
247.9
4900
11/8/2015
168/96
133/67-63
97.8
248.3
2000
11/9/2015
161/82
148/78-68
97.7
250.2
2800
11/10/2015
145/70
140/63-61
97.8
250.9
2300
11/11/2015
155/75
147/75-67
97.8
251.8
2100
11/12/2015
161/75
144/77-69
97.7
250.7
2900
11/13/2015
170/85
140/69-62
97.7
251.1
3100
11/14/2015
189/81
135/84-65
97.6
250.2
3300
11/15/2015
168/75
139/89-68
97.9
250.4
3200
11/16/2015
148/79
124/65-67
97,8
251.2
2800
11/17/2015
152/74
140/68-68
98,4
251.2
2900
11/18/2015
145/76
125/58-65
97.7
252.4
1400
11/19/2015
165/77
142/74-63
97.7
253.4
3000
11/20/2015
1679/71
137/67-67
97.9
250.9
1000
11/21/2015
163/77
135/73-66
97.9
249.9
1900
11/22/2015
156/71
132/72-64
97.7
248.9
1800
11/23/2015
167/77
128/68-69
97.7
249.2
1400
11/24/2015
160/81
147/76-72
97.8
269.8
1300
11/25/2015
163/75
137/67-67
97.9
249.8
1700
11/26/2015
145/66
131/61-71
98.1
246.8
1500
11/27/2015
136/64
121/55-70
98.4
251.0
1600
11/28/2015
157/52
135/70-66
98.0
251.0
3200
11/29/2015
138/63
126/63-72
98.5
251.5
1500
11/30/2015
154/78
140/75-68
97.9
250.7
1100
12/1/2015
155/69
140/70-68
98.0
250.7
1700
12/2/2015
162/69
126/66-64
97.9
252.3
2100
12/3/2015
165/75
140/66-67
98.0
251.3
3200
12/4/2015
161/70
132/68-64
98.0
251.3
2200
12/5/2015
152/67
134/59-68
97.7
250.5
2600
12/6/2015
173/79
137/76-67
97.7
251.1
1400
12/7/2015
162/74
133/66-69
98.1
252.1
700
12/8/2015
148/73
128/62-67
98.4
253.4
2600
12/9/2015
161/75
134/61-67
98.2
253.4
2700
12/10/2015
172/75
142/78-66
97.7
254.2
2200
12/11/2015
157/73
150/68-66
98.3
253.9
1400
12/12/2015
157/70
136/62-65
98.4
253.9
2200
12/13/2015
157/74
133/70-66
98.3
252.7
3100
12/14/2015
167/68
130/68-61
97.7
252.2
3100
12/15/2015
169/74
147/70-64
97.7
252.6
1600
12/16/2015
144/74
139/73-69
97.9
252.9
2700
12/17/2015
150/70
152/69-67
98.1
252.7
2600
12/18/2015
163/72
136/61-67
98.2
252.2
1000
12/19/2015
170/78
136/69-65
97.9
253.5
2800
12/20/2013
162/64
136/69-65
97.9
253.5
2200
12/21/2015
151/78
142/68-69
97.8
251.4
1100
12/22/2015
154/77
137/63-68
98.2
253.5
1500
12/23/2015
165/72
145/62-66
98.3
253.2
1600
12/24/2015
158/72
143/71-65
98.1
252.9
1900
12/25/2015
141/40
123/64-64
98.2
253.9
1900
12/26/2015
147/69
117/62-63
98.4
253.7
1400
12/27/2015
152/75
134/58_66
98.3
254.7
1500
12/28/2015
169/70
157/74-62
97.8
254.4
1700
12/29/2015
156/76
126/64-61
98.0
253.7
3000
12/30/2015
163/71
142/67-66
97.8
253.7
2200
12/31/2015
157/67
138/67-63
97.7
252.2
3100
1/1/2016
146/77
116/63-71
98.1
253.3
1200
1/2/2016
157/74
117/60-64
97.8
252.3
800
1/3/2016
165/72
129/67-69
98.2
252.3
1400
1/4/2016
176/72
129/72-67
97.7
254.4
2200
1/5/2016
158/82
142/72-60
97.7
254.4
2400
1/6/2016
175/84
137/76-66
97.8
253.2
3300
1/7/2016
166/77
133/67-65
97.9
254.3
800
1/8/2016
161/71
139/71-65
97.9
252.6
2400
1/9/2016
169/77
116/60-65
98.1
253.0
1900
1/10/2016
142/70
122/64-61
97.9
252.6
2300


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