An Interview With Captains Call an McCrea

I sent this as a sample to to the Lonesome Dove Fan Page as a sample of my work . if they like it, I'll become a blogger for them. Regardless of what happens there,I'd like to share it with you and see what y'all think.

Thanks

An Interview With Captains Call an McCrea

                Hearing of a large herd of cattle being moved north towards Montana, I managed to run into the Leaders of the drive at the store here in Ogallala while they were ordering supplies. One seemed rather jocular while the other seemed kinda taciturn and only wanted to get their business done and get back to the herd.

                Approaching the talkative one, I asked his name and discovered he was none other than Captain Augustus McCrea, late of the Texas Rangers and his partner was Woodrow Call, also a Captain of the Rangers.

                Offering a round of drinks at the saloon next door, McCrae managed to get Call to follow along and while McCrea put a serious dent in a bottle, I learned they were driving a herd all the way from South Texas to Montana to start a ranch.

Here are some excerpts from that interview:

Me: So, gentlemen what ever made you decide to attempt something of this magnitude?

McCrae:  Well, me and Woodrow, we been all over most of Texas and Woodrow wants to be the first cattleman in Montana. Ain’t that right?

Call: Yessir.

McCrea: Now, Woodrow, this man wants to hear about us, don’t you think you could be a might more sociable?

Call: Gus, we got cows to tend to and I don’t like leaving the herd alone with most of the boys in town.

Me: Captain, just a few questions please. What gave you this notion to run cattle in Montana?

Call: Well  I got the idea from listening to a fellow ranger  by the name of Jake Spoon tell of his travels up there and all the grass and thought it  would be nice to see some unspoiled country before it got overrun  by folks  and civilized.

Me: This Jake Spoon sounds like an interesting person, I’d like to meet him and get his perspective.

Call:  Can’t.  We hung him down in the Nations for murder and horse thievin’.

Me: Without a trial? 

Call: Yessir caught him red-handed. Trial enough.

Me: Captain McCrea, why are you in on this adventure?

McCrea: Call me Gus. Well, Woodrow has it in his mind and well, it’s always been me and Woodrow. We fought the Comanche together; we built us a place down in Lonesome Dove together and well ,  I said, me and Woodrow.

Me: Gus, is there anything you’d like to add to Captain Call’s comments?

Gus: Well, a man needs something to do. And this seems like the thing for us right now. The Comanches are gone. We killed off most of the bandits and Texas is getting too tame. We are getting on now and this will be our last chance to go somewhere new, Like Texas was when we first got there.

Me: Well Gus, you seem to have quite a unique philosophy on live and living.

Call: Gus’ philosophy only comes out when he’s about half drunk or better.

Gus: Call that ain’t true. I’m a man who likes to engage in thoughtful conversation with people of a like mind. I do have quite a few thoughts on life and living, unlike you who prefers to watch the sunset cleaning your rifle.

Call: Well it’s a damn sight better than going into town playin’ cards and consortin’ with whores.

Gus: Whores need talking to also.

Call: Like all you do is talk to them.

Me: all right gentlemen, one last question, what kind of legacy do wish to leave behind you?

Call: Gus, you answer this; I’m going back to the herd. Nice meeting you, sir.

Gus:  well, I’d like to think we left each place we were a little better. That what we did mattered. And, that we will be remembered for just a little while after we are gone. Is that too much to hope for?

Bro and Joe vs The NRA

 Looks like the Left is going to have to take aim at the NRA. The NRA has offered several proposals and have been not only rebuffed but shot down. We all know the Obama regime wants no part of the NRA. They want no part of anything that will stand in the way of their scheme ban guns here in the US as has happened throughout most of the World.
 After listening to Joe talk about "Executive Action", I began to wonder where does Congress stand in all this. Are they going to stand meekly by and allow our system of checks and balances go by the wayside?
What about the Supremes? Are they going to stand by and rubber stamp everything this person wants to to? The next question is, are we? Enter the NRA! The NRA has been fighting for individual guns rights and the 2nd Amendment for years. They are well organized and funded, not by shadowy holding companies or bundlers, but by their members. I've been a member for years and have often contributed to their battles.
 So, now with the NRA in their sights, The Left will now attempt to do what they do best. Lie, vilify, marginalize, threaten and persecute taking their methods directly from the Alinsky Playbook. They won't attack them directly; they are cunning like hyenas in that matter. They will attack from the flanks, attempt to weaken support for the NRA and gun owners by saying they don't want to ban all guns, just the ''bad'' ones. You will see high profile supporters of the NRA pilloried in print and on on the air by the Main Stream Media. The NRA and its  members will be most likely subjected to numerous audits and subpoenas. Moderate (RINO) Republicans will be attacked with the threat of losing the moderate vote if the Republicans continue to back the Second Amendment. Lies about guns will profligate the airwaves. Every shooting incident will be blasted over the airwaves, the bloodier the better. The exception being the stories where an armed individual prevented or stopped an incident. Obama will try and soothe the people by saying that something must be done, trust me, I know what's best for America! Hmmmm, does any of this sound familiar? Let's roll back the calender to Europe in the mid 1930's and see if anything looks familiar. I'll leave you to your own conclusions.
 One problem with attacking the NRA, is they won't lay down, knuckle under or play dead. The NRA is is not some person trying to get elected, It's us, the average American who believes that Constitution is not written on a chalkboard that can be erased and altered at the whim of some petty demagogue that wants to change our country to suit his vision. We, the members are going to fight, the best way we know how, by educating people, by staying in contact with our elected representatives, by voting them out if they cave and electing ones who will stand for the principal that they work for us, not the other way around. That y'all is how you fight a revolution these days. We must be doing something right, We (NRA) added over 100,000 new members just last week.

The Left and Gun Control

  Been hearing a lot these days about gun control on the news. Been reading about it, too. Not too sure what to think. Some say banning the high capacity clips will be plenty. Some same say we need to ban the AR platform rifles. Some even want to to ban all guns and confiscate them.
 I honestly don't believe any of this will do what the the idealistic left say. It will however, take us from  being citizens  of a free country to being subjects of a government that is growing larger and more powerful each passing day.
 But, I digress. Let's look at some of their arguments:
Gun control will reduce violent crime: Illinois[Chicago] has some of the strictest laws in the country and violent crime is at all time high. Please explain that to me. States who recognize the right pf a person to carry a gun to defend themselves have seen their crime rates plummet.
Guns kill people: I love this one. Yes, so do baseball  bats, knives, bricks, motor vehicles, etc. The one common denominator in the aforementioned is that it takes an action by a person to turn them into a weapon.
We have the  police to protect us: the average loss of life in a rage shooting when police respond is around fourteen; when an armed citizen intervenes, it drops to two usually including the shooter. Case in point: while back a man started shooting up a trailer park in a nearby town. Police officer responded and was pinned by gunfire.The officer might have been killed if a man hadn't responded with a well placed shot dropping the shooter. Who protected whom?
We need to raise age limits to purchase guns. Young people aren't mature enough to  handle guns: Oh really? Does this mean we are going to have to raise the enlistment age also?
Lower capacity magazines will make it harder to kill more people: This one is laughable. Anyone with any dexterity can switch clips in a split second. Here's a thought along that line of thinking, most drivers  and passengers in a motor vehicle can survive a head on crash at twenty miles per hour. Do  see or hear anyone screaming to limit a vehicle's speed to 15 miles per hour?
Making it illegal to own a gun will reduce crime: How's that working for Meth and Crack? Does Prohibition come to mind?

Okay, I could go on all day about drunk drivers killing more people than guns etc.., but let's face it, when trying to present our side to the rabid Left to make them  understand; it isn't going to happen because none of us are Jackass Whisperers!

One final thing, when it comes to defending you and yours, I just wanna leave y'all with this thought:

LOCK'NLOAD!

Happy Birthday Mom

 When we think of heroes, we often think of larger than life characters such as Superman, John Wayne and in my case; Ronald Reagan. But my real hero will always be my mother. 10 foot of all Texan packed into a 5'2'' frame.
  Mom was the one person we kids knew we could always rely on. She was the first to be asked to help out at school and with extracurricular activities. She was a band mom, worked with Scouts and never missed anything we kids participated in. Okay lotta moms do that, but how many drove a car home from Second Monday at 5 miles an hour while her nine year old son  held a lead line through the window to bring home a pony she bought on a deal?
  Let me tell y'all some more about our mother. she was what I like to call a "Leftivist". No, she wasn't a Leftist but a "Lefty". Not sure why, but lefties didn't seem to be so prevalent in those days. Might be we lived in a small town and not as noticeable.  Mom actively crusaded for lefties. She tried us all out as kids.I was at best ambidextrous and until our youngest sister was born, I was the closest thing to a lefty in the family. Do not laugh or scoff, I think if Laura had been a righty, there might be more of us. I'm just kidding but you never know.
 Here's a few more things about her I'd like to share. Mom took care of us, but she never over "mothered" if you follow. She encouraged us to be independent and self sufficient. In fact, she encouraged(insisted) we earn our allowance. She also taught me to ride a bike, sit a horse, play baseball and a lot of other things a dad was supposed to teach his son. She did just fine.
  But she also instilled in me a love of Texas. Not just the state, but a state of mind that comes from knowing you are a Texan. She bought me books on the early days of the Republic, on its early settlers and on its geography. And I think this kinda played into the most  important thing she ever taught me. Respect. Respect for myself as well as others. For without self respect, how can you respect others? I was taught to keep my hands off others and to expect the same from them. To be able to back up, but not down and to respect the rights of others; and to be able to stand  up for my own.
  Mom has been gone for a while now, but she still lives in all us kids. We still talk about her and remember our times with her. Some good, some rough, but never any real bad times, She wouldn't have allowed that.

Happy Birthday Mother

1935-1994

Ever Wonder?

 I was driving round this morning and an old Hank song (Cold Cold Heart) came on the radio and it got me to wondering what Country Music would be like with Hank and his music. Would it be the same without his influence? So me, being me in a very nonlinear way of thinking got to wondering about other things that might be different without someones influence, such as:

What would the movies be like without John Wayne? Would the Western have faded from the scene?

What would  rock and roll be like without Buddy Holly? Did he really have that much influence?

What would the GOP look like without Barry Goldwater? Would Reagan have been the man he was without his influence?

What would baseball be like without the Babe? Would homers be as prevalent as they are now?

What would computers be like without the likes of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs? Were they indispensable or would have someone else have done what they did?

What would our country be like without Lincoln? Would it have splintered into separate nations to be gobbled up by Europe?

  After pondering, this for a while; it struck me that in some small way everyone is indispensable in some way.Think on it, if you had never existed, what would your world be like? What have you done, no matter how small, has made an impact that would be missed if you hadn't been born. We've all wished at one time or another that we hadn't been born, but what would it be like if you hadn't? It could be as simple as saying hello to someone to make their day a little brighter. Encouraging someone, being there for a friend or family member in a jam; these things do matterand would be missed if we ever had gotten our childish wish. I'm glad that wish of mine didn't come true, I'm not meant to be a George Bailey.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Thanksgiving Memories

 Well, Jane has the turkey in  the oven and the aroma is intoxicating. I'm watching the Texan's game and I'm thinking about a lot of Thanksgivings from times past. From the time I spent thanksgiving on Guam with some shipmates to the ones that bring back my fondest memories; the ones I spent at my Grannie's.
 I am the product of two families. My parents divorced very early and I grew up with two dads. Not in the way it's spoken of now, but with two men of thought of as my dad. My Grannie was my father's mother and her house was the gathering place for the Carter family for most holidays. At any given time, there would be a mess of them there for no other reason than it was Grannie's. But come Thanksgiving, it would be packed from one end to the other with family. Grannie had seven children and all but one had kids, so there were plenty of cousins, and aunts and uncles, not to mention friends who would drop by. 
 Thanksgiving there for me would begin on Wednesday afternoon when school would let out. I'd have my suitcase packed and mom would drop me off at the bus station for the two hour bus ride from Bowie To Electra. I started doing that when I was about six years old. (Anybody feel safe letting your six year old travel alone on a bus for two hours these days?) Sometimes someone would meet me but most times I just lugged my suitcase and hoofed it to her house. I could always smell it from the corner. The aroma of pies would make my mouth water. Add to it, I'd hit town about supper time and be ravenous for some of her cooking. After supper, we'd start setting the tables up, the long table up front and the kids tables in the back. The long table by the time we got the glider stand and door off the front bedroom and used for an extension would seat nearly 30 people. the card tables would then hold the kids in the back room off the kitchen. The average head count back then was around thirty ans have seen nearly fifty be there. 
  Now,Grannie and my Aunt Willene didn't do all the cooking, it was a family style pot luck where every family brought something. Dad always brought something he smoked or barbecued which was either a big sirloin roast or a ham.I kid you not, I've seen three turkeys, a couple hams and a roast on the table and every vegetable imaginable, including a pot of red beans(this is Texas after all.) before the meal, we'd all gather for the blessing round the big table so my uncle Jr. would say the blessing. It was a Baptist blessing and I swear he was trying to pray those turkeys into heaven. He and I were the Baptists in the family, the rest were Methodists if you get my drift. Then we'd load our plates and settle in for a family meal.
  After the meal while the women cleaned, covered the leftovers, and set out the pies; the menfolk would claim  the card tables for games of Spades and the domino game. Now Carters are not what you'd call competitive, Carters play for blood in anything we do. And the domino game was watched by all us kids as long as we were quiet. The teams usually consisted of my cousins Tommy and Don, Dad and my Uncle Edward and my Uncle Jr and his son Larry. Tommy and Don had grown up together and were the team to beat. The yelling from the tables along with the laughing, taunting and occasional cuss word or ten could be heard down the street. Once, when I was there on leave while in the Navy, I had to sub for my dad as Edwards' partner. I'm a fair player,  but  nowhere in their league. After a very poor play of mine that cost us the game, Edward chucked his last domino at me, catching me right between the eyes, then cussed dad for not teaching me to play better. Lesson learned: Never bring fives without blanks. Tommy nearly fell out of his chair laughing. Good times.
 My Grannie is gone now along with my dad and all his brothers and sisters. A few cousins have passed also. They may be gone, but my memories of them are still here and strongIf I close my eyes, I can still see them; circled round grannie in her rocker as we all watched and rooted for out team, the Dallas Cowboys playing the Thanksgiving Day Game. Like I said earlier, Good times.

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all

Lies From Your President

 Listening to the radio this morning while going down the hiway, I heard an excerpt of Obama's book,
Dreams of My Father. From the little bit I heard, it soounded like he was channeling Kunta Kinte from Roots, but that's another story. Coupling that with the recent debates, I figgered it's time for Obama to churn out another book about his time in office and I thought this might lay the groundwork.(Bobby, feel free to interject with what you have at anytime.)

 

Lies From Your President

February of 2009 found President Obama vowing to reduce the deficit by 50% by the end of his first term in office. [I think we can see that never happened]

In early 2010, Mr. Obama claimed that the border fence is “basically complete.” [It is, if you consider 5% as “basically complete.”]

In March of this year, the President promised his new gas mileage standards would save the average American household $8000 per year. [There is only one small problem with that statement.  The American family on average spends around 4000 dollars anually on gasoline.]

You Didn’t Build that”  [Yes we did!]                                                                                                           

I’ve done more for Israel’s security than any President ever has before me.
[Obama aided Islamic Extremists take over of Egypt/ Libya.]

The GOP is responsible for Obama Jobs Bill Not Passing.
[Dems Rejected Jobs Bill.]

Benghazi violence was caused by an internet video & demonstrations.[ Well that one should bite him on the ass.]

“Under Gov. Romney’s definition … Donald Trump is a small business.”  [Donald Trump employ over 25,000 people. Define "the".]

“I think it’s important for us to understand that the Fast and Furious program was a field-initiated program begun under the previous administration” [Fast and Furious was reinitiated without tracking devices in October, 2009. President Bush left office in January of that same year.]

My budget will cut the deficit by $4 Trillion over 10 years. [I thought the nose was supposed to grow when you tell a lie. To me, it looks like his ears are getting bigger!]

These are obligations that the United States has taken on in the past. Congress has run up the credit card, and we now have an obligation to pay our bills. [Looks like it’s been incurred mostly in the years of Obama.]

We have run out of places in the US to drill for oil. [Then why is production is up on private lands and you cut drilling permits by 50% and closed off drilling in the Gulf?]

Gas prices have been spiking for years! [The national average for gasoline in January 2009 was around 2.00. Now it's closing in on 4.00]

 We have created 5,000,000 new jobs! [Maybe so, but it it doesn't offset the number of jobs that have been lost with his policies, so at best it's only a half truth. My mom taught me that a half truth equals a whole lie!]


If I don't get the job done in three years, then I'm a one term president. [Job's not done and now he's running on platform of I need more time.]


In closing, I think that as loyal citizens, we should do our best to help him keep one of his promises. We should do everything we can to help him become a one term president. That way he won't  be a complete liar!