Uncle,
Do you remember Pop singing as he worked, as I was with him a lot as a very young person, he would sing a little, never the whole song just a line or sometimes maybe two lines. A lot of time it was just 🎶 dee da lum, dee da lum day🎶,( I don’t think I spelled that right). Do you remember that?
He liked the Jimmy Rodger’s song “T for Texas, T for Tennessee,” but that was about all he sang. He liked some of Hank Williams Sr. songs.
Early on Sunday morning, he would watch The Wally Fowler Show, they sang Southern Gospel as I recall, they always ended the show with: May the Lord up above bless you real good, I’ve spent a lot of time praying that He would. He really liked it because he sang it a lot.
Sometimes he would sing ” All the Kings horses and all the Kings men could never put it together again. I remember thinking at the time he just liked the nursery rhyme about Humpity- Dumpity. This must have been another of his favorites because he sang if often.
Now if you will let me move forward to just a few years ago. In 2010 my sweet wife and I got me a new truck and it came with the new Sirius XM radio. I love it because I like to listen to old country music. Well one day on my way back from Pickens county, to my surprise there was Hank Thompson singing a song titled ” A Humpity, Dumpity Heart” as it turned out it was Pop’s song, about ” all the Kings horses and all the Kings men could never put it together again.” Well I’m hear to tell you I couldn’t wait to get home and call my kids about hearing Pop’s song. I knew they had heard him sing those lines before too.
If you google it, it is a cute little song from the late 1940’s.
Just a few of the wonderful memories I have of the Man, I call Pop

Danny, thanks so much…and yes I do remember him singing and seem like it was always just part of a song, but I do remember a little more of, “T for Texas, T for Tennessee, T or Texas and T for Tennessee, it’s T for Thelma, Lord that gal made a mess out of me…” or something like that  and sometimes he would add a Jimmy Rogers yodel…….Thanks for reminding me, Dan…He was a happy fellow…Pete

Have you thought about the name of the 45th President of the United States….In thinking about those running….We could have another President Bush or President Clinton…we could have but I don’t think so…Do you? I like Jep Bush and I am sure he is a good man, I just don’t think he will get elected…not now, maybe later…..President Clinton, I think her run in politics is over…you can fool some of the people some of the time, well, you know that story….so on to the next prospects…President Trump…I don’t think we have ever had a president that was about ego, have we? He does have some pretty good ideas, but the others have picked up on it or already had it, so the ego will do him in…Sorry sir, I don’t think so…President Ted Cruz..hum, well, could be pretty good and pretty solid, especially in the southwest, but probably not nation wide…President Scott Walker…nope, Midwest may go for him but not nation wide either…President Ben Carson…he is cool, a good thinker, smart, good ideas and black and he does not seem to be racist either….President Carly Fiorina, same for her….smart, quick thinker, experienced in leading, woman and a pretty woman…so she would be a good one….I think it will come down to Carly Fiorina and Ben Carson and maybe Rubio in the Republican race before trimming down to the one person to face the democratic candidate. I did not say, President Rubio, although I like him and like the way he presents himself and his ideas, I just don’t see him in the race…..I think it will be Carly Fiorina running against Hilary Clinton….and if so, Carly will blow her away…..Okay, presenting the 45th President of the United States of American, President Carly Fiorina…..Our Big Momma….45 tries before we got one….Big Momma….Hilary can’t handle that title….Carly can…

Alabama vs Mississippi…..Ole Miss would really like to take this one and they are good enough to do it….but Bama is good enough to stop them from doing it…sooooo, Bama takes them by 7…er, Ole Miss was good and got a few breaks…for a while it looked like a run away…ended  Ole Miss by 43 – 37

Wisconsin vs Troy….I like Troy….I like Wisconsin….I just like Wisconsin better, about 20 points worth. Well, this one was kind of like I saw it….Wisc 28 – 3

Arizona vs North Arizona….Arizona by a lot….I’ll stop at 21, but probably more…Az 77 – 13

New Mexico vs Arizona St….I like New Mexico, you all know that, but Arizona St is just too much for us to handle….Arizona St by 17…Az St 34 – 10…

New Mexico State vs UTEP….The line on this one is UTEP by 4….I think New Mexico State wins this one by 3…..Again NM State came up short after leading most of the second half, UTEP 50 – 47

Texas Tech vs Arkansas….last week I would have picked Tech to win this one, but Arkansas got beat last week and they are pissed….Arkansas by 14..I should have gone with my gut. Texas Tech  35 – 24.

Stony Brook vs New Hampshire….Stony Brook is looking pretty good this year. New Hampshire lost to San Jose St last week…I think Stony Brook wins by a touchdown…Stony Brook 31 – 6…

This post is from “Rebel Yell”, General John Herbert Kelly, Camp 1980, published by Southern Press, 829 Kirk Road, Gordo, Alabama and sent on to hesterbooks.com by Daniel Hall. This is a very nice article and I never knew that the Confederate soldiers had a black Chaplain….But it says here that he preached to the dad gum Yankee sinners as well…..Pardon me, I just had to say that…..  Note at the end of the article, “he had a Confederate Flag draped over his coffin”.

Black Chaplain of the Confederacy
Louis Napoleon Nelson

Louis Nelson was a private on Co. M, 7th Tennessee Cavalry. Louis went to war with the sons of his owner, James Oldham, as their bodyguard. He first served as a cook, then a rifleman under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest and finally a chaplain. He would stay on as chaplain for the next four campaigns leading services for both Confederate and Union soldiers. He later on said this ” number of Yankee soldiers joined during a worship service and after its conclusion, all shook hands and went back to fighting.”
The September 10, 1863 issue of The Religious Herald, Louis had enjoyed a reputation among the men of being devout during which time he was chaplain, the regiment experiences two revivals. The Religious Herald correspondent describing his service wrote, ” He is heard with respectful attention and for earnestness, zeal, and sincerity, can be surpassed by none.”
To his Tennessee Regiment, as well as the reporter who wrote the story, the service of their black chaplain was ” a matter of pride.”
Louis couldn’t read or write, but had memorized the King James Bible. He never had a guide line to follow, his pulpit was the battlefield, his heart was his Bible. He spoke with great passion and changed people’s spiritual lives because it came from the heart.
After the war he attended 39 Confederate Reunions and countless number of funerals he would attend and speak at. In the summer of 1934 at the age of 88 he passed away. His funeral, which included a huge military procession, and a Confederate Flag draped upon his coffin…… Gone was this Great and Mighty Man of God…. Gone but not forgotten….

Reply

Forward

Alabama over Middle Tenn….Bama by brutal…maybe Coach puts in the 3rd team early…Coach Saban did not try to run up a big score…1st team onlly played first half…Bama 37- 10

Arizona over Nevada by 7….took Arizona a while to get started, but Wildcats won 44 – 20.

Wisconsin over Miami, Oh by 17…Wisconsin won big…58 – 0

New Mexico over Tulsa by 14…go Lobo’s…Tulsa stronger than I thought..Tulsa 40 – 21

New Mexico State over Georgia St by 7….New Mexico State could have won with late field goal but missed wide right….Ga St 34 – 32

Texas Tech over UTEP by 14…Texas Tech 69 – 20

Stony Brook over Central Conn by 7…Stony Brook 38 – 9…The way Toledo beat up on Arkansas this week, Stony Brook is probably glad the storm postponed their game with Toledo last week….

Last week (9/5) went well, except I said New Mexico State would be the spread, 35 points and they lost by 41 points….all considered, I’m proud of New Mexico State’s play….Play on Aggies…

week of 9/12 was sad….Lobos and Aggies getting beat….Aggies was late getting started and field goal kicker missed. That hurts…..Lobos kind of beat them self…109 yards in penalties in first half and good drives killed by penalties, one was a score called back. You can’t do that with good teams…Oh, well, next week….maybe…

My picks…Sept. 5, 2015

Alabama vs Wisconsin…I’ll be picking both schools this year..I have a son up in Madison, WS, however that will not help Wisconsin this year….Alabama by 14…                                                          so, Alabama won by 17 and for a while it looked like Alabama would score at will..

Arizona vs UTSA….Texas at San Antonio is a good school, just not good enough to beat Arizona…Arizona by 21..Ok, so 21 points was a little too much, Arizona won by 10, but UTSA is going to win a lot of games this year.

New Mexico vs Mississippi Valley State….Lobo’s break out year…winning six, maybe seven…New Mexico by 17….The Lobo’s won by 66 points but things will get tougher next week.

New Mexico State vs Florida….My upset special….New Mexico State beats the spread…..Well, they get a good pay check to get beat up on…..I lost, New Mexico State lost by a bunch, 61 – 13 and I don’t like to do big number math….know what I mean, Vern?…

Texas Tech vs Sam Houston St….Tx Tech by 17….This year I will be following Texas Tech for fun. Tech is a good school and gives a lot of New Mexico kids scholarships in all sports, so I’m adding them this year…Sam Houston St is a little better than I thought…Texas Tech won by 14…

Stony Brook vs Toledo.. I will not be following Stony Brook this year unless they beat Toledo. If they do beat them, then I will track them….stay tuned…this game was postponed by stormy weather….so I will go with a Stony Brook game this coming week….

Where have the “good old days” gone. One of my first jobs, along with my cousin Cecil, was doodling sawdust. Uncle Dee, Cecil’s dad, had a portable sawmill….He would move the mill around from timber tract to timber tract. There was a drag chain that would take the sawdust out from under the saw and carriage area and deposit the dust at a location several feet away from the mill. The end of the chain was attached to a tall pole and as the dust pile grew the chain was located higher. After the chain reached a certain height, doodlers would be hired to throw the dust back away from the pole and hopefully far enough away to allow the base of the pile to grow. Now, in the case of Uncle Dee’s mill, when school was in session, some of his regular workers would take their turn in doodling. When school was out, we were hired and we were paid handsomely for this task. Two dollars a week…Now that was a lot of money, and, get this, as an additional perk, when we got the dust far enough away from the chain…we could roll down the sawdust pile or play….until the dust got close to the pulley and then we better have our little butts up there shoveling dust or we were in trouble…but we usually kept up….Uncle Dee was a good boss, and a fair boss…He never showed favoritism for Cecil over me..It may have been there, but if it was he never showed it. With my mom and dad both working, I had lots of time. Uncle Dee and Aunt Vera included me in lots of their activities. I never felt like an outsider. Doodling sawdust, stacking lumber, chopping cotton, poisoning cotton, picking figs or other fruit, weighing field hands cotton sacks, Cecil and I did it together and shared praise and pain equally….I think my favorite job was doodling sawdust…A doodler is just not needed anymore….(as far as I know) …..Pete Hester

My friend Otis Vaughn has scored big again. This is a wonderful story about Alabama football. A must read story for any Alabama fan…..University of Pennsylvania fans may like it also…..Good job Otis

Timeless Win in 1922 by Otis Vaughn (Alabama Football)

My picks…Sept. 5, 2015

Alabama vs Wisconsin…I’ll be picking both schools this year..I have a son up in Madison, WS, however that will not help Wisconsin this year….Alabama by 14…so, Alabama won by 17 and for a while it looked like Alabama would score at will..

Arizona vs UTSA….Texas at San Antonio is a good school, just not good enough to beat Arizona…Arizona by 21..Ok, so 21 points was a little too much, Arizona won by 10, but UTSA is going to win a lot of games this year.

New Mexico vs Mississippi Valley State….Lobo’s break out year…winning six, maybe seven…New Mexico by 17….The Lobo’s won by 66 points but things will get tougher next week.

New Mexico State vs Florida….My upset special….New Mexico State beats the spread…..Well, they get a good pay check to get beat up on…..I lost, New Mexico State lost by a bunch, 61 – 13 and I don’t like to do big number math….know what I mean, Vern?…

Texas Tech vs Sam Houston St….Tx Tech by 17….This year I will be following Texas Tech for fun. Tech is a good school and gives a lot of New Mexico kids scholarships in all sports, so I’m adding them this year…Sam Houston St is a little better than I thought…Texas Tech won by 14…

Stony Brook vs Toledo.. I will not be following Stony Brook this year unless they beat Toledo. If they do beat them, then I will track them….stay tuned…this game was postponed by stormy weather….so I will go with a Stony Brook game this coming week..