A Little Change Of Pace...!

Instead of the usual stuff today, I thought I'd share this little beauty with you.

It's called an Albino Peacock and it's very rare! It's also very beautiful! Just goes to show that if we don't manage to totally destroy every living creature on this old Earth, we will have the opportunity in the future to see this treasure and many, many more!

Let's hope that the PTB manage to control themselves long enough so that our children and maybe our grandchildren have the chance to enjoy sights such as this.

However, with that being said, I want you to know that I truly enjoy the beauty of Mother Nature. That's one of the reasons that I want out of the city.

I want to be free of the ugliness of concrete and the smell of gasoline and exhaust fumes. I want to wake up to the sounds of gentle breezes and birds singing, instead of the head splitting sound of sirens and traffic jams.

I want to be able to see the blue of the sky without it being polluted with the smog and poisonous fumes of the petrol-chemical plants nearby.

I want to be able to sit on my own front porch on my own land at night, unafraid, with no sounds to disturb me except the gentle sound of night that nature makes. All I want in this life is peace of mind.

I want to eat food that I grow, from seeds that I plant, on land that I own. No following rules made by people I don't know, agencies I don't recognize, and powers that don't have my best interest in mind at all!

In short, I want to live as a free American, in the fashion our forefathers intended. I want to be free to oppose unjust laws, to speak out against any injustice, and to defend myself and my loved ones against all oppressors, foreign and domestic!

I give you this quote by someone much more eloquent than I...

" I know not what others may choose but, as for me, give me liberty or give me death."
Patrick Henry


God Bless America, the true America!

Now, let's go get some coffee, my friend!

Too Good Not To Pass On...

Thanks to my friend in New Zealand for this little bit of silliness! Scary but true stuff...!

Some guy bought a new fridge for his house. To get rid of his old fridge, he put it in his front yard and hung a sign on it saying: "Free to good home. You want it, you take it".
For three days the fridge sat there without even one person looking twice at it. He eventually decided that people were too un-trusting of this deal. It looked to good to be true, so he changed the sign to read: "Fridge for sale $50". The next day someone stole it. Caution! . . . . . . . . . . . . These people Vote!

While looking at a house, my brother asked the real estate agent which direction was North because, he explained, he didn't want the sun waking him up every morning. She asked, "Does the sun rise in the North?"When my brother explained that the sun rises in the East, (and has for sometime), she shook her head and said, "Oh, I don't keep up with that stuff". . . . . . . .She ALSO votes!

I used to work in technical support for a 24/7 call center. One day Igot a call from an individual who asked what hours the call center was open. I told him, "The number you dialed is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week." He responded, "Is that Eastern or Pacific time?" Wanting to end the call quickly, I said, "Uh, Pacific" . . . . . . . . .He ALSO votes!

My colleague and I were eating our lunch in our cafeteria, when we overheard one of the administrative assistants talking about the sunburn she got on her weekend drive to the shore. She drove down in a convertible, but "didn't think she'd get sunburned because the car was moving". . . . . . . . . She ALSO votes!

My sister has a lifesaving tool in her car. It's designed to cut through a seat belt if she gets trapped. She keeps it in the trunk . . . . . . My sister ALSO votes!

My friends and I were on a beer run and noticed that the cases were discounted 10%. Since it was a big party, we bought 2 cases. The cashier multiplied 2 times 10% and gave us a 20% discount . . . . . . . He ALSO votes!

I was hanging out with a friend when we saw a woman with a nose ring attached to an earring by a chain. My friend said, "Wouldn't the chain rip out every time she turned her head?" I explained that a person's nose and ear remain the same distance apart no matter which way the head is turned. . . . . . . . . . My friend ALSO votes!

I couldn't find my luggage at the airport baggage area. So I went to the lost luggage office and told the woman there that my bags never showed up. She smiled and told me not to worry because she was a trained professional and I was in good hands. "Now," she asked me, "has your plane arrived yet? ". . . . . . . . SHE ALSO votes!

While working at a Pizza Parlor I observed a man ordering a small pizza to go. He appeared to be alone and the cook asked him if he would like it cut into 4 pieces or 6. He though about it for some time before responding. "Just cut it into 4 pieces; I don't think I'm hungry enough to eat 6 . . . . . . . . . Yep, he votes too.

Now you know who elects the politicians!

God help us all...!! Now let's get some fresh coffee, my friend!

A Little Treasure From The 1930's

I found this bit of humor in a cookbook full of recipes from as far back as 1936...

I just thought some would get a kick out of it! I know I did...

HOME BREW

Chase wild bullfrogs for three miles, then gather up the hops.

To them add ten gallons of tan bark, 1/2 pint of shellac and one bar of homemade soap.

Boil for 36 hours, then strain through an I.W.W. sock to keep it from working.

Add one grasshopper to each pint to give it a kick.

To test, pour a little in the kitchen sink; if it takes the enamel off, it's ready for bottling!

Now while that is aging, let's go get some fresh coffee, OK?

A Time For Reflection...!

Well, it's the first day of the new year and time for me to look at my plans for the immediate future...

First, let me say that I'm a simple man. I don't ask for much, nor do I expect it. Like most people, I've had a dream for a long time of having some land in the country paid for...not a big spread, just big enough so that I could move myself and my family out to it and live a simple life.

The only problems with that idea were that no one shared my enthusiasm for them. When I was married the last time, my wife and I discussed this idea at great length. She was really behind the idea...or so I thought!

We ended up buying 13 acres in east Texas, just 6 miles outside of her home town. The land was all woods (mostly hardwoods with some pine), had a small creek running through one side, and was about a half mile from the small lake outside of town. Perfect!

Since we were living in Austin at the time, the wife and kids (2 step children) stayed in Austin, and I got out of the cab business, sold all of my cabs, and moved to east Texas. I put a small travel trailer on the property, had some of the trees selectively cut and sold them to a tree harvester, and started work on the property.

I had got a full time job at that time as the sporting goods manager at W**-Mart, an ideal job for someone living in the country that liked to hunt and fish. I would work all day at the store, drive home to my small trailer, work on pulling stumps and clearing brush, running all the water lines from the county road at the property's edge by hand, took care of getting the electric company set up and power run to the trailer. Took me the better part of a year to get a place cleared and cleaned where we wanted the cabin.

I met a lady in town whose husband had died and who had a 2 story barn shaped workshop in her back yard. She said if I would tear it down, I could have the wood if I would haul it off. So I did just that! Hauled that lumber out to my place, pulled nails, organized boards by size, burned the bad ones in my wood burning stove and heater (my wife's uncle had given me one) and with my then father in law's help, laid out the stakes and ground work for the cabin.

During this time, the wife and kids would come and visit off and on...never staying very long. That is, until the time came to start building. Somehow I lost all control and input as to how I wanted things done. The wife moved down with the kids, her brother showed up for a visit with some friends and nail guns and plans, the father in law came over daily...everybody started building . The framework, sub flooring, walls, roof, windows, outside doors...everything was completed in 2 days time. Most of which, I was at work and not included in the construction.

Now, don't get me wrong...I appreciated the help...but didn't like the fact that everything was done to conform to how everyone but me thought the cabin should be done. Short version of the rest is that after the framing, all left. I did the rest...the siding, tin roof, the whole thing.

Four months later while I was at work, the wife packed up the kids, took what she wanted, threw everything else in the front yard and started a fire with it, and left. No note, no explanation, just gone. Just me and the dog left in the dream cabin (unfinished) in the woods near the wife's home town.

Within a year, I had lost my job, my family, my cabin and land, my dog was killed by a wandering pack, my truck blew up, I had heart trouble and had to leave the country and move back to Houston to be close to the V.A. and slowly began to dream and plan all over again.

That is when HermitJim came about. I learned a lot of lessons during that year! Lessons I won't soon forget...

No more letting others take over my dreams and plans. No more letting others decide my future. No more trying to shape what and who I am to please others. No more living in places I don't really want to live in. In short, what you see is what you get. If you ask, I'll share my plans...but they are NOT open to discussion.

I don't do crowds. I don't do clubs. I don't do anything to put myself in harms way just to impress or show off. If you don't like what I say, don't listen. If you don't like what I do, don't watch. If you don't like my lifestyle, I DON'T CARE !!! It's mine, not yours.Got it? Good!

Sorry for the long winded post...just wanted to get that off my chest first thing this year! I appreciate you taking the time to read my little rant...

Now, let me buy you a cup of coffee, my friend!

Countdown To The New Year...!

A little bit of amusement for ya from the pages of the Farmers Almanac...

Among the various superstitions surrounding the advent of the New Year is the nearly mandatory practice of noisemaking at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

Now looked upon as mere revelry, it once was considered protection against evil spirits, who would be scared off by all of the noise.

Whistling, however, is strictly taboo; to whistle is to converse with the devil or invite him in. Sailors, actors and actresses, and miners are particularly cognizant of the ill luck associated with whistling. On board ship, whistling is thought to raise a storm. In the theatre, it is believed to close the show prematurely. For miners, it is a sign of alarm.

A whistling girl and a crowing hen,

Always come to no good end.

Now let's start this day off right with some fresh, hot coffee. OK, my friend?

Wonderful No Knead Bread...

I am getting carried away by this bread stuff.

Ever since I first read about the "no knead" bread recipe, I have been in a baking frame of mind. This recipe is so simple and uses so little yeast, it is almost sinful! Talk about an easy to follow recipe...man, this one will have you blown away!

Now, since I made my first loaf I have found several different versions of this recipe, and they are all really, really simple. Other than put the recipe on here, I am including the video from the guy that introduced this whole thing to me. When I first watched it, I had to view it twice as I thought I must have missed a step or two...but it really just as simple as they show. If you haven't seen this, enjoy!




Now, I might mention a couple of things here. It really doesn't matter how long you let this stuff rise before you bake it. In fact, if you don't think it has risen enough on the first rising, let it sit some more. Doesn't matter! Also, the video says to use a setting of 500 degrees, but I used 450. The timing isn't as critical for this recipe as it is with a lot of baking...making it almost "Hermit proof". Trust me on this!

Man, if you don't think that a slice or two of this bread, with some butter and honey spread on it makes the perfect compliment to a fresh brewed pot of coffee in the morning...I don't know what to tell you!

My apologies go out to Treesong, who has an allergy to gluten, for rubbing it in with this post. I'll try and eat your share for you! Just the kind of guy I am, ya know? Now, how about some more coffee, friends?

Well, My Luck Is Holding...!

Well, now I'm getting a little spooked!

Three days in a row, I have started a project and had all three come out fine! Sort of scary, huh? I mean, how often does that happen anyway? Guess I've been a better boy than I thought.

I told you about the success I had canning butter, but I don't think I mentioned that I also tried the "cake in a jar" recipe where you actually bake a cake in a jar, and then let it seal just like canning anything else.

I had read about this, mostly good with some bad, so decided to try it! Figured it couldn't hurt! So I got a lemon cake mix (77 cents on sale) and using the pint wide mouth jars I started in.

First, I heated the jars in the oven at 250 degrees and while they were heating, I mixed up the cake. When the batter was ready, I bumped up the oven to 350. I put 1 cup batter in each jar (it filled each one about half way) and with the four jars on a cookie sheet, I put them back into the oven and let them bake.

Now the recipe says you can make six jars, but I only came up with enough batter for four. I was a little concerned that only being half full, it might not be enough batter...but I had been reading all the comments and warnings about not using more, so I didn't add more.

While the cake was baking, I heated the jar lids as per instructions . When the cake was done, the batter had risen all the way to the top of the jars, I put on the prepared lids, and waited for the PING, letting me know that the jars were sealed properly! Man, I was truly tempted to try some of that fresh cake with some of my fresh canned butter and hot coffee...but I was STRONG! I didn't give in...yet!

Well, after having such good luck with the "no knead bread" and then with the "canned butter" and "cake in a jar"...I'm all set to try something else. I mean, I'm on a roll here, ya know? So I think that the next project will be a recipe I got from Safely Gathered In, (a GREAT blog, BTW) for an easy fudge!

Man, my mouth is watering already writing about Lemon cake, butter, fresh baked bread, and now FUDGE! Think I better go sit down, have a fresh cup of coffee and see if I can stop drooling for a while. Want to join me? For the coffee, NOT the drooling!