AN INCORRECT BLOG TITLE A COUPLE DAYS AGO

Going to have to take me some Spanish lessons I guess because a couple night's ago I entitled my blog...Gracious Amigo instead of Gracias Amigo.  I had meant for the donkey's remarks to mean 'Thank-you Amigo.  I have since made the change to the blog & feel rather embarrassed by that mistake.  I do not really think of myself as gracious!!

                                           

NICE PAIR OF SPATS ON THIS PIGEON…….GEESE IN THE HORSE CORRAL

We had a cloud cover this morning so that automatically translates into colder temps here at this time of year.  WANDERING WILLY'S keeping all the warmer air for himself down in Mexico.  Of course with his warmer air comes much rain these past few days.  Guess we'll just go for cold & dry here & keep the weather report short for to-day.

 

PEARCE, GLEASON, & CHARLIE THE CAT……THE McNEAL RANCH GANG

Each morning I drive over to Belle's I see the smog completely cloaking Douglas.  It is coming from south of the border in Douglas's border city of Agua Prieta.  Big factories they say.  I wonder if they are American owned.  Too bad to have this beautiful valley with it's abundance of mountains & sky so polluted at the border that you can't even see the town of Douglas itself.  I don't think there are a lot of emission standards down here like the northeast.  Too bad!!

My watering & feeding this morning went reasonably well until I saw what appeared to be a water fountain shooting up from a piece of pipe about half way down the corral line.  Much water on the ground & it had run down a long way across one of the pens suggesting it may have been flowing all night.  It was about a half inch white plastic pipe sticking straight up out of the ground with the water bubbling up about 10 inches.  Beside the pipe lay a white cap.  Well, no problem I thought as I stuck the cap back on the top &  forced it down.  Well, the force on the other side took about 3 seconds to totally blow off the cap I was holding down immediately turning me into a 5'9" tall human sponge.  And that was lesson number 4!!  Turn the water off dummy before trying to cap a flowing water pipe.  Figured it was the 2 rogue horses who got that cap off for a drink of water in the night although there was a large container of water only about 30 feet away.  Guess they just wanted the fountain effect.  I outsmarted them later by throwing some hay over the compound fence where the bales are stored on a trailer & that kept them there & out of my hair for awhile.  I was then able to go over & feed the rest of the guys a distance away without being harassed by a couple of big four legged hay heads.

Came face to beak with a Peacock in full feather mode coming around the corner of a building.  Luckily I always have my Canon A720 camera in my pocket & I'm pretty fast on the draw.  Managed to get off a couple quick shots before he turned his back on me.  This began a 10 minute stand-off with us both fencing for position.  Tried to creep around the front of the Peacock to get a full frontal picture of his plumage but he was having none of that.  I tried hiding behind a shrub & then a tree but he knew I was there.  I'm sure he had his head turned peering back at me though that huge fanlike display of gorgeous feathers.  He was a crafty fellow always turning away & presenting me with his backside.  Never once did he drop his plumage as he shook & vibrated himself at the passing chickens & roosters.  The feathers rustled like leaves in a wind.  It was quite a display & the first time I had ever seen a Peacock do that.  Probably the first time he ever saw a Gringo hiding behind a shrub too!!

                                

    FULL FRONTAL                               AND                      THE REAR VIEW

Finished everything up by noon & went in to chat with Belle for awhile.  She feels like she has aged 10 years since the broken hip last August landed her in a wheelchair.  She's not crazy about hospitals but wonders if she will be forced to go again because of the continuing pain at night.  I don't really understand the health care system here but I know if she was in Canada all those hospital costs she incurred would be looked after.  But, not to worry, I'm smart enough not to touch on American health care here.  Belle's Kentucky cousin is still delayed by bad weather in the east but with any luck she might be here next week at this time.  Am hoping things work out because Belle could sure use some extra help in the house.

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Belle's lifeline to the outside world is her computer & for 83 she does really well at learning new things.  I'm hoping she can begin putting her life story together with bits & pieces in her blog.  Belle has always had a vision & dream for her ranch & today she handed me her first article to post.  It's an older photo of Belle but she says I haven't taken one good enough of her yet to make her look like the shining Starr she really is:))

CHOW TIME AT THE McNEAL RANCH

I was back to the rig by 1 & did some maintenance stuff & that was about it for the day.  Corky, the big black lab dog was here to-day so things are always a bit on the zany side when the Corky boy's here.   What a big ox he can be.

SUNDOWN FROM THE RIG

And welcome to followers Thelma & Skip who we actually had the pleasure of meeting here at the ranch about a month ago.  Hi again guys & thanks for clicking on our followers button:))

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Bob, a 70-year-old, extremely wealthy widower, showed up at the Country Club with a breathtakingly beautiful and very sexy 25 year-old blonde. She knocks everyone's socks off with her youthful sex appeal and charm and hangs over Bob's arm and listens intently to his every word.  His buddies at the club were all aghast.  At the very first chance, they cornered him and asked, "Bob, how'd you get the trophy girlfriend?"   Bob replied, "Girlfriend? She's my wife!"  They're knocked over, but continued to ask. "So, how'd you persuade her to marry you?" "I lied about my age", Bob replied. "What, did you tell her, that you were only 50?"   Bob smiled and said, "No, I told her I was 90."

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The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now....AL.