Number one son and number one daughter in law are some where south of the border. I understand it is pretty far south.  We hear of all the troubles around the border towns….I hope it is a lot better for those people who visit deep in the interior. Maybe if he reads this he will give us a comment on life in the fast lane. How ’bout a comment, son? Could you ‘plain whats happening down south?….. I don’t know folks, he may not read his Pop’s post, reckon?

I read over the weekend that the divorce settlement for Tiger was going to be 750 million dollars. As I recall there were about 10 names of women that he had carried on with, that is a whopping 75 million per gal if that is right. You gonna have to win a few more tournments petty quick, huh?  Now, it is not any of my business nor is it the business of any of my readers, but I think we all agree Mr. Wood that you need to figure a few things out. The cost of playing a round (excuse the pun) has really gone up. And so has the cost of the 19th hole! ……Didn’t the paper report that when Tiger wrecked his SUV that Mrs. Wood was standing there over him with a nine iron? Well, that’s old news but seems as thought Tiger is having trouble getting use to his new clubs. I hope he gets everything going again soon. With Tiger and Phil out of the line-up, things just ain’t the same, huh?……Wonder how many millions Tiger has left? I reckon he will probably be ok, don’t you? I kind of worry about  him some…He can’t have another 750 million left, can he? If they spilt it in half, I reckon he does….dang

Well, all this military stuff this weekend has caused me to dust off some old pictures. No, we were not still flying bi-planes in 1954, but we did not have any F-16 either. Some of the guys I can remember and some of them may remember me…I was the right guide, fellows, remember…Sgt. Cole fired me on the spot one day while marching…maybe some of you remember that…We were marching across the parade ground, and I was probably day dreaming about my girl friend or some girl I wanted to make friends with…anyway, Sgt Cole was giving us the old, hut, ever so often…remember…a few steps, then, hut…a few more steps then another, hut…then if he wanted the pace picked up a little, then he would hut 2, hut 4 and then when we were where he wanted us he would settle back to the hut,……hut…well, this one day I am talking about he called us to a halt,  gave us a left face and by the time I reached the squad on the left, he was waiting on me…He says, “Hester, where the hell are you from” and I say, “Alabama, Sir” and he says, “Did you ever plow a mule”…well, being from Alabama I did not want to say no, so I lied and said, “Yes, sir”.  “Well,” he says, “I would have hated to see your rows. You have wandered all over this parade ground. You need to fix your eyes on an object way out in front of you and march toward it. When I give you a new direction, pick another spot to march toward.” He went ahead and replaced me for a time but eventually he put me back in that position. I saw him again a few years later, I was an Airman First Class and he was still a Tech Sgt…It was at Upper Hayford RAF station in England. I could not help but call him sir….He continually corrected me, but it was automatic…I said, “Sgt. Cole, I just can’t help it. You spent to long getting me there. I just can’t quit in a few minutes of visiting.” He was a very nice guy, looking back but at the time, he sure had my number. If any of you guys or any of you guys grandpa served back then, tell them about this post and web site….We even had jet aircraft…with radios and radar….But eyes straight ahead stuff  is good advice for us today, is it not…Fix our eyes on the direction we wish to travel, marching right toward it…If life turns you somewhat, affix your eyes on the next goal and keep on marching….Happy Fourth of July folks….Pete

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among them are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”…..Written so many years ago and yet they still go right straight to the heart of any American….So many have fought and died to preserve the things that Americans hold dear and may all future generations carry this banner forward, all long as our nation shall stand….You remember the closing of the Declaration of Independence?…..”And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred Honor.” … Let each of us remember that pledge……Enjoy the Fourth of July,…… thanks to many  thousands of military men and women from the 1776 forward to 2010…..

Ok, time for another installment of my stuff writing. Now you remember me telling you in the camping stuff post about Cibola National Forest being broken up into three segments, right? Well, I want to tell you about the section west of Socorro. If you look at a New Mexico map and see the towns (that may be  overstating facts) of Winston and Chloride. Ok, just north of there at the tail end of the Cibola National Forest and at the county line lies the Reservation of the Warm Spring Apache Tribe (abandoned) that I have researched so much and have developed a fondness.(Some maps will show it).  Chief Victorio was one of the most fierce of all the Apache chieftains, but we certainly pushed him in that direction. After all, he stood in the way of silver mining and potential gold mining and copper mining for goodness sake. We could not let that happen by some 400  strong tribe (probably at their biggest), could we? His tribe was massacred Oct 14 and 15, 1880 down in Mexico. The remnants of the tribe joined Geronimo and the Chiricahuas. Well, we conquered them and kept them and the Chiricahua tribe prisoners of war for 27 years. We hauled them off to Florida, Alabama and then Oklahoma and said this is your new home boys, never to return….I don’t know why, but the reservation lies idle today, and I guess it is to allow the spirits of the Warm Spring Tribe to forever enjoy that area they so dearly cherished and called home….You remember our Govornor disallowed the Fort Sill Apaches to build a casino down at Lordsburg, huh? They are some of the descendants of the Warm Springs and Chiricahua…We did not need another casino, but had it been me, I would have allowed it just because of the history of the tribe…I have Mississippi Choctaw blood from my Granny Hester, I’m not sure how strong, but I guess it’s strong enough to feel some kinship for my Apache brothers….

Folks, today I signed a contract to get Apaches, Buffalo Soldiers, That Female Reporter, And Me published…With Publish America again…So I am going to delete the sample chapters I have before August 1. I don’t think they will be mad for me giving you a glimse of the book but they might. After all, it’s not just mine after they get it in print, its our’s….Anyway, I will probably be telling you more when the book becomes available. Oh, you want to know a little more about the book?…Well, this pretty cute, but snotty reporter becomes lost and follows the story teller through a time tunnel into the 19thcentury….They both magicially return to their twenties, helping the attraction to each other…Well, to shorten the story some, the story teller’s arch rivial, the fierce warrior Wolf, he knows  from an earlier trip, has married the beautiful Indian girl and now has developed a keen eye for the reporter…She wants a story and will follow these Apaches all over to get this story…going far from the comfort of the time tunnel and a quick exit from the 19th century…The story teller chases her since he feels responsible for her and twice rescues her from the warrior, Wolf.  He meets a company of Buffalo Soldiers returning to their fort after many days of traveling. Low on supplies, they can only manage to loan him, a rifle, a horse and one reluctant Private to help the story teller try for the rescue….Along the way, the Buffalo Soldier gets to enter the 21st century and get a good view of the future and becomes a dear friend to the story teller…..When it is all over and the story teller and the reporter are back in the 21st century, he starts trying to track down the young lady for possible returns to the tunnel, from time to time, back to the past and back to their twenties…It ends with…… no, I’ll let you read that part for yourself…..I think it is my best work to date, whatever that means….Now maybe I consecrate on my newest one and get my cowboy out of trouble, maybe even married….I may let you read a sample chapter from it in a few weeks.