Low Budget Home Security

HOW TO INSTALL A LOW BUDGET HOME SECURITY SYSTEM

1. Go to a thrift store and buy a pair of man's used size 14-16 work boots.

2. Put them on your front porch, along with a copy of Guns & Ammo Magazine

3. Put a few big dog dishes next to the boots and magazines.

4. Leave a note on your door that reads:

Honey,
 I stepped out to get some more ammo. Be back in an hour.  I had to lock the dogs in the house,  they attacked the mailman this morning and messed him up bad.
Be right back.

My Favorite Kind of Business

 I have written a a post or two about government control over EVERY aspect of our lives so this was refreshing to see.

While camping last month we went to a small local grocery store for a few items we needed. When I saw this bottle of cane syrup and read the label I had to buy it..
 I like pure cane syrup and I especially like that the government had little control in making it. I tell you I have not had syrup this good since 'cane grindings' and 'syrup cooking' many years ago.
  If you can't read the small print I copied it onto the bottom of the picture.

Thanks and Welcome

Special welcome to two new followers.  Mohave Rat is a disabled veteran who has his own blog, also welcome to Rick Wickwire.

As always I strive to address all comments and questions. Hope you find my blog worth visiting, you are among friends.

Rehab Is A Good Thing

I was driving south of St Augustine the other day and saw this sign on an old Mack truck parked outside a B-B-Q joint.  

     Just had to share.

Memorial Day Closing Thought

Private Murphy's Law

Memorial Day

On this Memorial Day I want to encourage you to remember those who have died for our freedoms.





Thank you to all who left (and are still leaving) comments on the post  "Freedom is Never Free" Your kind words mean a lot to loved ones left behind.

Freedom is Never Free

Memorial to the seven Seabees KIA

This Memorial Day weekend we remember those who have died for our country. Many times we hear about the number of fallen troops in the history of our country but seldom do we put faces to those who have given all for our freedom. I am doing something I have never done before now, I am writing about some of those men who I am proud to have served with.
   Early during the Iraq War (2003-2004) I was deployed to Iraq with a Seabee unit, which is basically a Combat Engineer group for the Navy and Marine Corp. We were originally tasked with bridge, road and runway repair and construction but this was early in the war and the battle of Fallujah was raging in the Sunni Triangle and needless to say it was a bad neighborhood. Our battalion was attached to the MEG (Marine Engineer Group) and the MEF (Marine Expeditionary Force) and we were split up into smaller units / squads to work in convoy operations, base defense, force protection etc. I was first assigned to a Special Ops base in North Iraq working on force protection in a FOB (forward operating base) It was a lot of closely guarded ops and to this day if I pull the compound up on Google Earth the area is blurred out. Later our unit was sent to Ramadi to work with the MEG.
As I said earlier, in 2004 Anbar province was a bad area and little did we realize that when we boarded that DC-10 in Gulfport Mississippi that 7 of us on that one aircraft would not return alive. Apart from the seven KIA there were others of us to return in wheel chairs, stretchers or on crutches. Some of us had visible wounds and some not so visible but without a doubt we were all forever marked by our service.

On this Memorial Day weekend I will offer no details but rather honor to the seven men in my unit who made the ultimate sacrifice.

EO3 Christopher M. Dickerson

Eastman, GA.

KIA when his vehicle was hit by an IED, Anbar province, Iraq. 
33 years old, survived by wife and children.







EO2 Trace W. Dossett

Orlando, FL.
KIA,  hostile fire in Anbar province, Iraq.
37 years old survived by wife and 2 daughters. 







SW3 Ronald A. Ginther

Auburndale, FL.
KIA as a result of hostile fire in Anbar province, Iraq.
37 years old survived by wife and 2 children

BU2 Michael C. Anderson

Daytona, FL.
KIA as a result of hostile fire in Anbar province, Iraq.
36 years old, survived by wife and daughter.

BU2 Robert B. Jenkins

Stuart, FL.
Died as a result of hostile fire in Anbar province, Iraq.

35 years old, survived by wife.






SW2 Jason B. Dwelley

Apopka, FL.
KIA when his vehicle was hit by an IED, Anbar province, Iraq.
31 years old.






 
CM3 Scott R. McHugh

Boca Raton, FL.
KIA as a result of hostile fire in Anbar province, Iraq.
Died 3 days past his 33rd birthday. His mother's care 
package had not arrived before he was killed.





"When I die, I desire no better winding sheet than the Stars and Stripes, and no softer pillow than the Constitution of my country." -- Andrew Johnson

PS, I have always had a policy of responding to all comments and questions. I will not do so on this post unless I really feel the need to. Please feel free however to show your support and respect for our fallen and their loved ones.

Hard Post To Write

I have been working on a post for Memorial Day, it has been in the draft stage for weeks now. I have struggled about how much information to publish. If this does not make sense it will when you see the post, it is something I have never written about before now. I think I will post it later today.
Hope you all have a good holiday and remember the sacrifice of those KIA and MIA

I would also like to welcome a new follower,  Joseph Romero he writes from Texas, stop by and say hi.

You Wanna Know What Really Ticks Me Off ?

Sometimes I get so upset I feel like I will pop a blood vessel.
I saw the other day where the Department of the Interior is offering free passes to military veterans for national parks starting May 19th (Armed Forces Day)  While some may say "cool" I want to grab them by the throat and yell "It's a NATIONAL PARK, it belongs to everyone, you can't charge us in the first place"
 You see I think everyone should be allowed free access. I tell you this stuff has to stop. Next thing you know they will be charging us a fee to go onto our own private property, we wouldn't  stand for that would we................wait a minute, my bad, they already do that it's called property taxes. If we don't pay the government a fee every year for an 'annual pass' we can't have and use our property.
Sigh..............sniff..........................................................
 Now I feel like a neutered, whipped puppy. Sorry for unloading on you all, I will try and be more civil in the future.
I will go take my medications now.

You Just Never Know......

Out front of the arena

  Have you ever had one of those days when it ended quite different than you planned, this last weekend I had one of those days.

On the field during practice

The day started out busy, lots of family stuff going on but early afternoon I decided to attend a meeting of  CVMA (Combat Vets Assn.) At the meeting they discussed that the local arena  AFL football team had a game and it was military appreciation night and they had been asked to ride their bikes in the opening festivities .
I decided I would tag along, unsure they could even use me or my bike but nevertheless I went to check it out.
   I had ridden my newest project bike which I had written about  a few days ago, turned out they were looking for 20 motorcycles to transport cheerleaders on to the field and 5 extra to carry the US flag and flags from the different armed force branches. I told them I did not have a passenger seat but I would be happy to carry a flag if needed so my old retro/military style Harley was chosen to carry the US flag.

Staged under stadium before opening event

We arrived a few hours before the game in order to practice the parade and riding on to the field.

 The opening ceremony went down fine. The first 20 motorcycles carried the cheerleaders and the flag bikes followed up behind. We rode on to the field and paraded around in formation before letting the dancers off so they could do their opening routine.




 After we exited the field and were staged under the stadium seating 3 ladies with clipboards (they were in charge of entertainment) approached me and said they really liked the look of my motorcycle and would I please ride it for them in the half time show, it would entail following 2 Army Hummers with cheerleaders aboard, I would be carrying the lead dancer. I reiterated the lack of passenger seat but after practice I found if I sat up on the tank some she would be able to ride on the back part of the seat, we were however unable to practice on the field because the game had already started but after much 'talking it through' I had it sorted out. The other bikes were taken outside and I remained under the stadium awaiting half time 






 I staged behind the Hummers while the cheerleaders practiced their routine one last time.
As half time approached we all loaded up and waited.











  The music started playing and the the crowd was excited, I could hear them and the music despite the lack of mufflers on my old Shovelhead Harley, they had specifically asked I rev the engine as I entered, It was a loud place I can assure you. The two Hummers followed by myself  pulled on to the field and stopped  near the right sideline allowing all dancers to jump off and do their dance routine.
After the cheerleaders did their routine, (a tribute to the armed forces) they remounted the vehicles and we carried them around the field one last time to wave to the crowd. (shown in last photo)



All told  not too bad a day I guess, beats getting shot at.  Maybe I will do something more interesting next week.

Garden Time

The garden is in full swing,  We have been picking 2 or 3 lbs of beans per day for the past month and eating them or putting them up for later. We like to pick them before they get very long and tough. They seem to produce longer this way. Right now we pick every other day.

 The tomatoes are doing well, they don't seem to be turning ripe as quick as I think they should but at least the bugs are leaving them alone.

 The squash and zucchini (not shown ) are good. I like to eat them steamed as well as chopped up raw on a salad, again, picked before they get too big. The crook neck squash here will be ready tomorrow I'm sure.

 The small tomatoes are doing very well, and the bushes are loaded with them, most still green but a few turning like this one. We have been eating these for the last 3-4 weeks.

Bell peppers are doing great, we eat  them raw on salads as well as stuffed and baked in the oven.




The potatoes vines are starting to wilt so I may test dig a hill soon. I also have cucumbers running a muck but those we pick about 4" long.... I may have to start throwing them at cars to get rid of them.

Not Good # 35

It' not a good idea to let the the 'not so bright one' in your camping party be in charge of cutting the firewood.

Good Things To remember (Survival)

A few days ago I did a post about TEOTWAWKI  and would you be able to handle it then I received an email from a fellow combat vet about lessons learned from experiences. I have changed and modified the list as I think it applies to TEOTWAWKI  as well. Some of it is funny and some is serious but it is all truth and is stuff to think about before the time comes because then it is too late.

1, Once you are in a fight it's way too late to wonder if it was a good idea
2, NEVER get into a fight without more ammunition than the other guy. 

3,  Cover your Buddy, so he can be around to cover for you.
4, Decisions made by someone above you in the chain-of-command will seldom
    be in your best interest. (this goes for your job also)
5, Sometimes, being right and lucky still is not enough. 

6, If everything is as clear as a bell, and everything is going exactly as
    planned, you're about to be surprised.
7, Loud, sudden noises in a helicopter WILL get your undivided attention. 

8, If the rear echelon troops are really happy, the front line troops  

    probably do not have what they need. ( this also applies to your job)
9, Happiness is a belt-fed weapon.
10, Having all your body parts intact and functioning at the end of the day
      beats the alternative.
11, If you are allergic to lead, it is best to avoid a war zone.
12, It is a bad thing to run out of fuel, ammo, and ideas all at the same time

13, The further you venture into hostile territory, the louder strange engine noises become.   

14, Medals are OK, but having your body and all your friends in one piece at
      the end of the day is better.   

15, Being shot hurts.   

16, There is only one rule in war: When you win, you get to make up the rules.  

17, C-4 can make a dull day fun.  

18, There is no such thing as a fair fight,  only  ones where you win or lose.  

19, Nobody cares what you did yesterday or what you are going to do
      tomorrow. What is important is what you are doing NOW to solve our problem.   

20, Always make sure someone has a P-38. (can opener)    

21, Praying may not help . . . but it never hurts.      

Greetings

I would like to welcome two new friends to my humble blog, tffnguy he is from Texas and has a wide interest in topics. Also Frosty ThaClown he has site, American Made Blogger . Please be sure to stop by and give a read.
I like having a wide varied collection of ideas and thus the reason I strive to respond to all comments and question.