Christmas Decorations

Christmas Decorations

I got my office Christmas tree put up yesterday. It's half-completed in the picture. I worked on straightening out the branches a little later.

Here's a picture of all of my decorations. The ones on the left are a floral Santa boot, two toy soldiers, and a metal decorative Christmas tree. I bought most of those things at the Dollar Store's after-Christmas sale last year. However, I've had the boot for a long time. I've got some glitter-decorated pinecones that I'll add to the display later. Right now, I don't know where they are.

New Wreath and Christmas Activities

Wreath 2025

Well, we ended up going to Walmart this past Sunday. We got the kids some Christmas gifts. We'll have to do it one more time, at least. It'll probably take place after Black Friday. Nothing spectacular happened during our trip.

On that same morning, I cut the bottom out of a plastic barrel that will serve as a dog's house. It'll keep the rain off the dog whose current house is in disrepair. I had to use a drill to make a hole for the saw blade. Then, using a jigsaw, I cut the barrel according to the marks that had been drawn on the lid. It took about 30 minutes to do it.

The picture shows a newly updated wreath that my wife has at her office. It looks much nicer, she said, than the one that was previously there. The new wreath actually fell off of the door, but we found a wreath hanger today that will be installed tomorrow.

Clarksville Texas Post Office

Clarksville, Texas Post Office - Author's Picture

The U.S. Post Office in Clarksville, Texas. Clarksville is the county seat of Red River County, Texas. The building dates from 1914. I have early memories of visiting this post office with my mom, when I was little. The building has an entry ramp for wheelchairs and persons with disabilities. I remember walking up and down those ramps. It was great fun, but the stairs were fun too. Later, I moved to Henderson, Texas.

Christmas Tree

Merry Christmas in November!

It's been a long day, and it's not over. I got early (for me), and just after noon, I took my mom to her doctor's appointment. She had a checkup, then had to get labs, and finally had to have an X-ray and an ultrasound. This time, it only took about an hour and a half. The radiology clinic already had its Christmas tree on display (seen in the picture). I also noticed that they still have a Halloween decoration on the door.

I got home between 2 and 3 PM. Then, later, we went to Walmart for the weekly grocery run. We finally picked up a Turkey for Thanksgiving. We made it home around 7:30 PM. I dread next week, but not because of the Thanksgiving cooking. Mainly, I dread it because we'll need groceries again, and next Friday is "Black Friday." Maybe it won't be too crowded if we go late in the evening. We don't "do" Black Friday. Too crowded.

I think we may go do some Christmas shopping tomorrow. We need to find gifts for the kids. It has been a tough year, and we won't be able to buy very much. Fortunately, we are prepared for the Thanksgiving meal.

William Becknell Robbinsville Cemetery, Part 3

William Becknell - Author's Picture

The text reads:

William Becknell

Born in Virginia 1797

Pioneered the Santa Fe Trail

Served in the army of the Republic of Texas

Died 1865

Erected by the State of Texas 1957

I believe that the captain's stone, as well as that of his wife (below), is oriented to the southwest rather than the typical west-east.

Mary Becknell - Author's Picture

Mrs. Becknell passed in 1864. This is obviously a newer headstone.

Stone Marker - Author's Picture

I saw perhaps a dozen of such markers. They're stone. There is no readable text on them.

Bench - Author's Picture

The historic site has a couple of benches in case you get tired. I visited in the heat of summer, but I didn't have to sit down.

Turnbole Marker - Author's Picture

The grave marks the burial of a member of the Turnbole family. I couldn't read the first name. The date of birth/death is 1861-1864, so this a young one.

Burial Marker - Author's Picture

I couldn't read much on this stone, either. The date of death is 1833.

Atlas Obscura also has an article about this cemetery.

Edit: I forgot to mention that the cemetery is in a cattle pasture. It is fenced off, though. On my way up the path, I scared two cows, which quickly ran away.

William Becknell Robbinsville Cemetery, Part 2

William Becknell Robbinsville Cemetery - Author's Picture

"This historic cemetery is also known as Robbinsville Cemetery after the community that once thrived in this area. Names for John Robbins, an early settler, Robbinsville served as a gathering place for area farmers. The cemetery became known as Becknell cemetery when Mary Becknell, wife of William Becknell, deeded the land to the Methodist Episcopal church as a burial ground on Dec. 20, 1861. Burials include William Becknell (1788-1856), "Father of the Santa Fe Trail," and three other burials of pioneer families, including McGuire and Turnbole. It is believed there are a number of unmarked graves. The cemetery is the last remaining vestige of a community of pioneer residents."

Pathway to the Cemetery

I wore Crocs during my visit. I don't recommend it, as the gravel pathway is tough on the feet. Wear some good shoes.

Cemetery Gate - Author's Picture

This picture shows the gate and the (above) historical marker.

General View of the Grounds - Author's Picture

A view of the cemetery. It's not a very big area.

Detail of the Cemetery Fence - Author's Picture

Rainy Day

Rainstorm Approaching

The rain started early this morning, accompanied by a loud clap of thunder that woke me up. Then the lights went out. They didn't stay off very long. It's raining again; it looks like another shower is approaching.

I set out to do nothing today, but instead I found myself busy. I changed the cat litter boxes. I washed dishes. I did the laundry. I got the coffee pot prepared to make coffee for my wife this evening. I haven't really been drinking coffee for the past two weeks. Instead, I've had tea both hot and cold.

Tomorrow I'll be busy with driving my mom to her doctor's appointment. I suppose we'll also buy groceries tomorrow evening unless we change our minds and if we have enough daylight. It's got to the point that I don't like to drive after dark because of the wild hogs and deer that come out in the dark.

Currently, I'm sitting at my desk drinking boba tea. Yesterday I worked on my short book 3820, recording notes and developing Dobbs City a bit more. A portion of it has been drawn on graph paper. I've also been able to get into the mind of Izzy Kent a bit more. She's a young, fascinating character. Her name is actually Elizabeth, Izzy for short. 

William Becknell Robbinsville Cemetery, Part 1

William Becknell Robbinsville Cemetery - Author's Picture

The William Becknell Robbinsville Cemetery is a historic cemetery located on US Highway 82, between the towns of Clarksville, Texas, and Detroit, Texas. I had been wanting to visit this cemetery for quite some time. I once knew a more than elderly florist who grew up in this part of the country. She recalled seeing the cemetery when her father, in his wagon, would bring the family to town. The text reads:

Blue Jays

Blue Jay Feather - Author's Picture

The above picture was taken in June of 2025. I had been seeing a lot of blue jays in the yard. I saw bright blue birds and some that were not quite as colorful. I think the bright ones are male, and the less bright ones are female. They're very vocal creatures.

I'd been trying to see if I could find a feather. It's not too impressive, and I have found beautiful, perfect feathers in the past. Officially, the bird is called Cyanocitta cristata. There are four subspecies of them. Oh, I took the feather back outside and put it on the ground.

More sources about Blue Jays:

https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/bluejay/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_jay

Blue Jay

Image by Nick on Pixabay.

New Pond

New Pond

Last week was tiring. I did everything from going to the doctor to dealing with flat tires. Nothing required much effort, it was just time-consuming.

On Monday, I had a three-hour round trip to the VA dermatologist. All they had to do was just look at my arm, where they did the TB test. That's it, just look at it. It seemed almost like a waste of time, but I did manage to get a flu shot while I was there.

Tuesday, my son-in-law had a blowout on the way home from work. He didn't have a spare tire. It cost close to $200 to get someone to come fix the car on the side of the road. Then, that evening, the wife and I had to go get the car and bring it to the house. He went that same weekend to get a new set of tires and spent more than $400 to get that done.

I woke up one morning to the sound of heavy equipment. I went outside and saw a bulldozer and a backhoe hard at work. My brother-in-law was having a pond dug at the southeastern end of the property. I walked to it later. It's about nine feet deep at its lowest point. I didn't estimate the diameter. It's going to be stocked with catfish, eventually.

I found a recipe for crockpot chicken that I made one day last week. I thought it was too salty, but everyone else (said they) liked it. My daughter said it was something that she could eat again.

The pasture is being bush hogged today. The grass is tall. Honestly, it could have been baled again.

I saw the Northern Lights the other night. I didn't think they could be seen from Texas, but that's what the news and neighbors said it was. It was just a pale color standing right about the distant northern tree line.

We went to get groceries on Saturday instead of our usual Friday. We did it because we had to go to Hobby Lobby for my mom, and we thought it would be less tiring to wait until Saturday. We still didn't make it home before dark. I was supposed to install mom's new propane heater on Sunday, but I couldn't get the propane nozzle turned off. I hate that, but there was nothing that I could do.

Journal, November 15

Shirt - Author's Picture

I got a new t-shirt in May of 2025. Yes, it came from Walmart. My wife, who bought it for me, said that it would be much nicer if it didn't have a "cow" on it.

Journal, October 29, 2025

Author's Picture

Well, Fall seems to be transitioning into pre-winter. We're under a wind advisory, and the weatherman says that the wind has it feeling like it's in the 30s outside. I don't care for the cold. We're overdue for a cold, wet, and possibly snowy winter. I don't like it, but I'd best be ready for it. Hopefully we won't be doing anything that's not routine. I'd hate to have to be out in bad weather.

Oh, it was cold in the house this morning. I turned on the electric heater. I got warm, and so did Duke the tabby. It's the first time this year that I ran the heater for so long at one time.

Journal, October 27, 2025

Platter - Author's Picture

A lot of people make fun of him, but I'm a fan of Nicolas Cage. I've never seen a movie of his that I couldn't watch. I watched Season of the Witch a couple of days ago. Cage even made a Lovecraft-inspired movie called The Color Out of Space. I'd seen Season of the Witch before, but I enjoyed it the second time. It stars Cage and Ron Perlman. It's part of my Halloween "watch list."

Tonight we had a dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and cabbage. I got off pretty easy. I only had to cook the cabbage, and I finally learned how to season it. 

The picture I've posted came to me from a deceased associate's kitchen cabinet. He passed away, and his dwelling was practically falling to pieces. He permitted us to claim what we wanted. We did. He passed away at the age of 82 with no family and no friends except for the Lonestar Crew. Anyway, the dish shown is a platter. I can't discover exactly what it is, other than it is a vintage item. I've seen similar items for sale online for anywhere from 10 to 60 dollars. We use this dish every year around holiday time to hold turkey and ham.

Caddo Indian Mound

Panorama

It's not obvious in the following pictures, but this is the best that's possible at this time of year. The little copse of trees is growing on a Caddo Indian mound. The rest of the land is flat and clear. I should've taken better pictures to show that, but I did get one (above).

Caddo Mound

Caddo Mound

Caddo Mound

Caddo Mound

The mound has been described as the foundation of a "dwelling." Once upon a time, the new owner of the land surrounding it mistakenly believed that he owned this land. The company was preparing to bulldoze (flatten) the mound, but they were stopped by a "society" that manages the historic site. To my knowledge, it has no official name. I walked to the top of the mound one time, many years ago, and I saw that someone had dug into it. I don't know what was or was not discovered there. In general, I've found that people do not respect such structures or what might be buried within. One day, I will try to get better pictures, maybe in the winter when nothing is blooming. I didn't go to the top this time, as I have no desire to trespass or possibly get bitten by a snake.

Rose of Sharon

Rose of Sharon - Author's Picture

I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. Song of Solomon 2:1.

The person who planted this flower calls it the Rose of Sharon. I have discovered that the name is applied to various kinds of flowers.

Cthulhu Pumpkins

Cthulhu Pumpkins

Just in time for Halloween, we find Cthulhu Pumpkins! I think these are fantastic pieces of artwork. The OP said of this image, "Happy October! Here are some Cthulhu pumpkins."

Image Source: Meta via Lovecraft Ezine Podcast.

Family Lunch

It's a Dog's Life

Daisy the dog stretched out on the floor near the fan in my cousin's living room. This took place after lunch, where Daisy and Ibar (not pictured) got a few treats from my cousin. She wanted more, but she'd had enough. I think someone did slip her another morsel later, but only because she's a Good, Good Girl.

Well, we picked up the wrong dog treats for our (daughter's) inside dog. We're now looking at another hour, round-trip, to return/exchange them tomorrow. In the heat, because the car's AC doesn't work.

My mom and I went to our small family gathering today. Basically, we had the bare bones of a Christmas dinner, save for the addition of fried okra. I think I ate too much, but it was delicious. I pulled "electric knife duty." I left not one good scrap of meat on the turkey and (in-bone) ham. My cousin is a good cook.

The cousin who cooked lunch is local, as am I. Two of my other visiting cousins were from out of town. One lives in Pennsylvania, the other lives near Oklahoma City. I hadn't seen either one of them or their spouses in quite a long time. Actually, I hadn't seen my one cousin's wife, ever. She was a very nice girl who was soft-spoken and didn't have much to say unless you took the time to talk to her first.

One of my cousin's friends (the PA cousin) was also invited. The pair were best friends in high school, and they've kept in touch through the years. My cousin is a nursing home administrator, and her friend is a school teacher. She was interesting to talk to, and I actually went to high school with her younger sister.

All I did today was go to lunch, cut up some meat, and visit with relatives. That's it. Now, why do I feel like I've worked an eight-hour day? I'm exhausted.

Green Anole

Green Lizard

Google states of this picture, "The lizard in the image is a green anole (Anolis carolinensis), a species native to the southeastern United States." The picture was taken by my daughter. When she took the picture, we were in the process of relocating an unknown type of snake from one of our kennels.

We went to Walmart tonight. As always, we bought groceries for three households. We made it home just before it got dark. Deer and hogs are often found around dark, where we live, on the roadsides. Fortunately, we didn't see or hit deer or hogs. They're known to be active and ever-present on the farm-to-market road on which we live.

I got a meal from the deli at Walmart. Three chicken strips, macaroni and cheese, plus mashed potatoes and gravy. I haven't eaten it yet. It'll be a late-night meal. My wife cooked a store-bought pizza. She ate it for dinner. I've stored some of it in the refrigerator so I can have it later.

I've finally got around to shaving again. My psoriasis diminishes whenever I can keep my head and face shaved. I still have scars from it.

In addition to shaving today, I cleaned my old shotgun. My dad bought it for me many years ago. It's a 12-gauge. Yesterday I fired it for the first time in many years. I removed the buckshot from it and replaced it with 7/12 shot. It'll take down birds and snakes. That's about all I'll need it for. the only problem with the cleaning is that my home office now reeks of bore oil. Next time, I'll go outside to clean it.

Tomorrow around 10:30, I'm going to take my mom to something like a "family reunion" at a cousin's house. Mom seems excited to go. I am indifferent, really. Tonight, I made a chocolate cake to carry to the get-together. I just got through spreading the icing on it.

Yesterday my daughter and I saw a snake in one of the larger dog kennels. It was roughly 18 inches long. We didn't know and still don't know what kind it was. All I know is that it probably wasn't venomous. It wasn't a copperhead. It wasn't a rattlesnake. Those are the venomous snakes that I can identify. Was it a cottonmouth? I don't think so, but I'm not sure.

1939 Dodge Airflow Tanker

1939 Dodge Airflow Tanker - Author's Collection

This toy truck is an Esso Standard Oil Newark, NJ 1939 Dodge Airflow Tanker replica. It is a toy bank with a coin slot on top. Unfortunately, the bank's bottom seal hatch is missing. I don't think this is all that old. I found some on eBay, ranging in price from $7 to $35. The bottom text also says that Chrysler licenses it.

Traipsing

Blue Mistflower

Google says the image shows a blue mistflower. As usual, I don't know for sure. Occasionally, you don't get correct results from image searches.

Today, we took an interesting foray into Oklahoma, and on the way back, we stopped at Albion Cemetery, where an early acquaintance of mine is buried. He passed away either in his early teens or perhaps "tweens." I can't recall. I was making the rounds as normal, taking shots of WoW burial markers and any other interesting features. The pictures will be published at a later date.

The interesting thing about the trip was that, first of all, it requires navigating a narrow path. The cemetery is surrounded by forest. We even saw deer standing just off the drive, inside the tree line. We finally made it onto the grounds, and I turned the car around to face the drive. All was silent. Silent as a graveyard, so to speak; well off the proverbial beaten path.

While we were walking the grounds, the silence vanished. We heard another vehicle approaching. It was a pickup. We ended up meeting the driver, and it turns out that she knew of my family, and we knew of hers. Then another vehicle pulled up. It was the same situation. They were familiar with our people, and we were familiar with them. One of them was the sister of the young man I mentioned in the first paragraph. What a coincidence it was for us all to meet right there together at the same time.