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Friday, July 31, 2009

Whow boy, was it ever nice this morning....65 degs. Didn't get my morning porch time 'cause I got up too late. Wayne came over at 6:45 say'n..."ya ready"? Yeah, I went and played a practice round this morning. :) If'n it weren't for golf, I would have absolutely "nuttin" to do.

I know everyone is tired of hear'n bout this old solar oven, but I done another test today. Beer bread. I guess you could say I wasted a good cheap can of beer. Oven was work'n just right at 275 to 300 degs., but the damn bread didn't brown. So's I left it in there "overtime"....that's time and a half....double time holidays. It came out look'n sorry. Top was hard as a rock. Skeered to taste it. Put 'er in a plastic bag in hopes it will soften up like the "basketball" bread did.

Found out my little red Bronco II is worth $4500, that is if I buy a brand new vehicle. Added it all up and I'd be in debt for over $15,000, what I ain't gonna do. Anyone wanna buy a 1984 Bronco II for $800??? Or how bout a brand new 1997 Jeep GCL for $4200??? Boy howdy, did I ever get myself into a mess!!!

Backed the Jeep and Bronco up back to back and started toss'n stuff from one to the other. Decided to see if my boondocking generator would crank up......yup...first pull. Got me a good'ern there. Lots of junk in the Bronco to go to the dumpster. I sure toss a lot of $$$$$ in the dumpster. Where I gonna put the spare tire??? On the roof would be somewhat tacky.

Supper time....pork chop, boiled taters with pork gravy, corn on da cob, sliced maters and maybe a slab of that beer bread. Sounds good to me.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Look'n for winter @100 degs.

Another beautiful morning in New Mexico. Sure will be glad when some cooler weather makes it's way to the borderland. Was perfect temp at 7am when I hit my first golf ball, but by 8:30, I felt little sweat beads forming on my brow. Humidity way too high for the desert.

Figgered out what to do with that peach cobbler. I know my birds are deserving of dessert after eating corn yesterday night, so guess who gets the cobbler today??? Made me up a big bowl of cereal for breakfast and picked out all them peaches from the cobbler to top it off. Nothing goes to waste when ya lives in the desert.

Speak'n of critters, yesterday morning there was a beautiful coyote walk'n the fence line not more than 100 feet from my house. Wonder if that's where all my rabbits are disappearing off to. On quiet nights, you can hear them 'singing' off in the distance. Very seldom see one during the day. Marvelous creatures.

Got a few things to do outside before it hits that 100 deg mark......
********************************

1pm, and hot outside. Didn't get much done, so's I came inside to do some think'n......what I do best when it's cool. Ya know winter is just around the corner and there's lots to do before the first freeze. Like be hundreds of miles from it. Been think'n about going back to the 'slabs' (southern Ca.) again this winter and then to Yuma to catch me some more them rainbow trout. And I been think'n of going to south Texas where winter is only two weeks long. And I been think'n of going to Terlingua, but damn, it gets cold there at night.

Been searching for solar panels for the motorhome. Found some pretty good buys...bout $3.38 a watt. I don't care about their 25 year guarantee, 'cause I ain't gonna live that long anyhows. As long as they last 10 years is all I care bout. Can install complete 260 watt system for less that $1400 by "doing it myself". I done got a 1200 watt generator, a 2500 watt inverter and four 225 amp hour batteries, so I'm good to go.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

building a pie

Started to roll out of bed at 4:30 this morning, but after tak'n a closer look at the clock, I says...."what ya think'n bout Billy Bob"? Up to a fresh pot of coffee on the porch whiles the sun come up. Weren't nuttin special...just another start of another beautiful day. But I guarantee it's gonna be a hot one....predicted 101 this afternoon.


By the time we got back from swak'n golf balls (10am), it was just about time to throw together a peach cobbler. I never built one these things, so don't know what's gonna happen. My pesky neighbor Wayne suggested I use Bisquik for the dough, so's that what I did. Mixed some up and smushed it in the bottom and sides of the pan. Then I poured in a can of peach pie filling and topped it off with globs of more dough.
In about 3 hours I should have something that resembles peach cobbler.






Now I got to go do something. Don't know what, but it's still nice outside.
************************************************

About 3 hours later, I ended up with the most God awful tast'n peach cobbler I ever ate. Don't, I repeat, don't ever use Bisquik for a cobbler dough. It tasted like breakfast biscuits with dried up peaches. Old pesky Wayne led me astray on his suggestion.
But....with all that said, I had troubles with the solar oven from the word go. The wind started blowing and blowed the reflectors closed three times, making the oven temp to drop dramatically. Then I left it in there too long think'n the bottom wasn't done....wrong!!! Got's to "spearmint" with it some more. By the way....ordered new mirror finish diamond plate reflectors today. Gonna be do'n some serious cook'n in bout a week.


Spent a little time digging weeds and raking the yard. Not much mind you, but just enough to say I did something this afternoon. Then I went and trimmed a mesquite bush in hopes it might some day grow into a tree. Slim chance!! Mesquite bushes are bushes, not trees. Mesquite trees grow in Texas, not New Mexico.

Boy Howdy, let me tell ya bout flies. After two days of rain, them flies have multiplied into a gazillion right here on my porch over night. Got two fly traps and two fly swappers and only make a small dent in the population. Them neighbor horses gotta go.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Loaf of bread

Oh what a beautiful morning it was....till bout 9am. A few little clouds in the sky and not a breath of air. Then it got hot.

Fired up the solar oven to bake that bread I took out the freezer yesterday. Boy howdy, did that sucker rise over night.

After an hour in the oven, this is what a basketball looks like.




Went off to town for my groceries what I was gonna get a few days ago....ain't it great to not be in a hurry?

Come back and this is the bread now.


Cut me off a couple chunks for the ultimate test...is it eatable? Yeah, it is, but not like "mama" used to bake. Could have something to do with the olive oil I put on it.

Now what ya gonna do Billy Bob. "Oh...I don't know....take a nap maybe"?
*****************************************************************

Monday, July 27, 2009

is this another monday

Boy Howdy, where did last week go?

This morning was special for old Billy Bob. Slept in till 7am and never looked back. But I did feel a little guilty that I slept half the morning away.

Went out to the porch to watch what was left of a sunrise and drink up half pot of coffee....get'n that other eye open, ya know. Whiles I was out there, here come pesky neighbor Wayne say'n, "what ya gonna do today"? "I don't know, kill flies I guess".

Did ya know, in the desert, you can cut a limb off'n a desert tree and plant it? In 2 years you will have a 10 foot tree grow'n right where's you planted it. Me and pesky neighbor Wayne planted two little limbs from a Mexican Elder two years ago and we now have trees in our yards. His is bout 10 feet tall and mine is about 5 feet tall. I might mention, ya gots to water and trim them, what I didn't, but Wayne did.


Soon as it got too hot to do anything outside, I went in, turned the t-stat to 75 degs and commenced to break'n out clean'n gear. Whoa....I worked so hard for the next 2 hours that I had to lay down....short nap. Got up and went right back at it. Scrubbed and waxed the hardwood floor in the kitchen. Bagged up all the trash. Cleaned all the burnt dinners from the stove and called it quits for the day. Now I can sit back, drink a cup o' and do what I do best...nuttin.

Took one them frozen bread thingys out the freezer to bake in the solar oven tomorrow. Never used them before, so don't know what I'll have when I finish....hopefully bread. Got beer on my shopping list so's I can try a beer bread recipe I found.

Here come the "monsoon" rains again. Rained twice times yesterday and and now we have a downpour with quarter size hail warnings.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Sore Sunday

Boy Howdy, were I sore this morning. I had hurt'ns on top of hurt'ns. Even my hair hurt.
I rekon lay'n on a pile of rocks, old 2x4's, cactus and railroad ties was the wrong location to work on "that jeep". Ha Ha Ha, I'm jis mess'n wit ya. But, there was rocks, bout golf ball size. I know I'm get'n old, but am I get'n "that" old?

Just to loosen up the old bones, we went off to the golf course to swak a few balls. By the time I got home, I was think'n I should have stayed home instead of swak'n golf balls. My God, I don't feel good....lol.

Got an email for one my followers what said he couldn't reach my blog from his 'favorites' list. I rekon I should have left well enough alone by trying to change this thing.
Our buddy and leader, "what's his name" said, "we need change". Ha Ha, change "this"!!!!
Notice to all followers: If ya get to my blog, leave me a comment and re-bookmark.

Did I ever tell ya bout the time....
I was work'n for the University of Texas at Port Aransas, Tx. and we got us a brand new supervisor feller what the first thing he said was, "we need change". He told me one time whiles I was laid back, "Billy Bob, what are you doing"?? I told him....."nuttin is broke, so's I'm do'n nuttin". Then he made a stupid statement...."if it ain't broke, go fix it". HUH????



Ya wanna see my work bench???

Hee Hee....I'm bad!!!








This is Fraser!!!!















Saturday, July 25, 2009

Friday on a Saturday morning

This thing has got me all worked up....can't get Blogger dot com to do anything I want it to do. Now I'm right back to where I started in the first place and all that time "mess'n" with this thing, was a complete waste.

Yesterday wasn't much different from any other day. Old pesky neighbor Wayne forced me to play a round of golf. It was a such beautiful morning, so I decided to ride along and swak a few balls.

Started me a grocery list (run out of stuff for the solar oven). Lit the solar oven up just to see how hot it would get. 300 degs in bout 1 1/2 hour. Since it were hot, may as well cook something. (Uncle Ben, take note of this dish) Since I love tomatoes so much, throwed a can of dice maters in the bottom of a cook'n bowl. On top that, a can of Ranch style beans with jalepenos. Cut up 3 brats into bite size and chunked them in there too. Steered the whole thing up, plopped on a lid and stuck it in the oven.

This "that jeep" has been bug'n me for the last few days ever since the welding and fab shop refused to take my $$$$$ for a couple hours work. On the internet, I found exactly what I was look'n for....a 12 ton pipe bender.

These "long bar" suspension thingys need to be bent to clear the frame, readjusted and no more rattle rattle bang bang.








Anyhows, I jumped in "that jeep" and headed off to Harbor Freight in Las Cruces bout 60 mile from Billy Bobs house. Now, here's the idea. Bend them pipes, sell the pipe bender for $80 and be done with it. Then put on the ole think cap and lower that sucker back to stock height.

Boy Howdy is it gonna be hot in the desert for the next week, 99 to 101. Gonna be some "in house" chores to catch up on during the day.

Ok, I gotta do something.


That's "vackly" what I done....pulled one them pipes off to bend, but the benders was gonna break if I tried to bend all 4 pipes. Put it back on and went off to a friend and his "torch".

Two hours later, all pipes bent and reinstalled. Ride home was minus all that rattl'n and bang'n noises. Plus, I sold the pipe bender to my friend with the "torch" for half price.










Now what I gonna do??? Took a nice cool shower, drank half a jug of cold water and that couch over there sure looks inviting. Ok, twist my arm......late nap time.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Changing blog format

Well, that didn't work too good. Tried making all kinds of changes and now I have lost all my audience (followers). Don't know where it went or why it went, but I want it back. Lesson learned, never mess with something you know nothing about. Sheesh!!! But I'm gonna keep on mess'n with it.

Had another one of them sleepless nights last night. Ended up rolling out at 5am. Hope this doesn't become a habit, 'cause no-one gets up at 5am....unless "yer go'n fish'n".

Did some more clean up to the porch and made my "stuff" pile a little bigger. Let's face it, old Billy Bob didn't much of anything today. Got lots of porch time drink'n coffe and enjoying a cool breeze out of the south east. 90 degs was tops for the day.

Did I ever tell ya bout the time......way back in the early 80's, I was living way up Clark Holler a few miles from Huntington, W.Va. Right across the creek bout 50 yards, lived my X wifes sister, Wilma, and her "hillbilly" husband, Donny. I had done took me a trip to Tennessee to pick me up some big bundles of bottle rockets and "boom" crackers. Found out them bottle rockets was 100% effective for keep'n Bro Wades (another neighbor) guinea chicken thingys an his big ole tom turkey out my yard.
Well, one Sunday morning, Donny was a sit'n on his front porch, what was the same level as my front porch, drink'n coffee and smok'n cigarettes. I didn't have anything pressing to do at the time, so I set one them high powered bottle rockets on the topt rail'n, took careful aim and lit 'er off. SHHHHHHEEEEEEEE......POW. Bro Donny bout jumped out his jammies. Lined me up bout 5 more and lit them off. Poor ole Donny was head'n for safer ground while them rockets were go'n off on his porch. He was holler'n "Uncle Bill, don't be do'n that". I had to go help him put out a little fire he started when he dropped a cigarette in the trash can. To this day, he says I started the fire with my "dynamite" bottle rockets. The boy ain't right.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Energetic Wednesday

I got a think'n last night, what I do quite often, that some changes need be done on this blog thingy.
Don't know what changes to make, but I find it rather boring as is. Guess that would mean I'm have a classic "old age" boring life.

Stretched them old bones this morning till I got a big ole cramp in my right leg what got me out of bed in a flash....like lightning done struck. It was 5:30am, so decided no use in going back for more of the same. Don't remember what this morning looked like, but it sure was on the cool side, what is great for a round of golf.

Didn't get my morning porch time 'cause I was "slow mov'n". By the time I got my other "sandshoe" on, here come old pesky neighbor Wayne say'n "ya ready"??? There was a tournament scheduled for 9am, but we tee'd off at 7:15 way ahead of them. Rain come pour'n down with only three holes to play, but suffered it out to the end. Today we hit only irons what made the game more interesting. Didn't help the scores though.

Back home by 10:30 to clear skys and not a drop of rain at my place. Made me up the biggest bacon, egg, mater sandwich ya ever seen. (6 pieces thick sliced bacon, two "giant" size eggs and half a mater) Poor Lug Nut and Sadie just sit there drool'n whiles I ate the whole thing.

OH......I got a mater puppy on the mater plant. Soon as it stops raining, I'll go out and take a pic. I'm so 'cited I could pee. Ya don't rekon it will grow into an adult, do ya???








Did I ever tell ya bout the time......me and Vickie Lynn, an old girlfriend....well not really old, she were 38 at the time.....decided to take a short cut highway cross New Mexico from Carlsbad to Las Cruces up over the Sacramento Mountains. We climbed and we climbed for the next 90 or 100 miles until we come to this little town called Cloudcroft. Well, "Alice", my old motor home, was thirsty, so I pulled in to "fill'r up".
I jumped out, wear'n shorts, tee shirt, sandals and a big black 'Stetson'.
(pic to show "that big black" Stetson)

First thing I noticed was "Holy Cow, it's cold" and big ole mounds of snow all over the place. It were 90 degs. just 2 hours ago and now it's freez'n cold. Well shoot, we was at over 9,000 feet. We spent the next two hours playing in the snow and fall'n on our butts before head'n down the others side back to 90 degs. Vickie kept say'n, "slow this big SOB down", an I kept say'n, "I can't, we go'n downhill". Arrived safely at Las Cruces after a shot stop at the reknowned "White Sands National Monument".

Boy Howdy did old Billy Bob get some energy this evening. Built a corner shelf for the porch, put all my tools in their place, cleaned and hosed down the porch, raked part of the yard, built a big pile of "stuff" to go to the dumpster......all before 8:30pm. Eat'em up a couple peanut butter/jelly samiches and a quart of milk.
I'm done....out of here....good night.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

A night with no sleep

Don't figger it's gonna take long to give an account of this days activities.
Went to bed last night just about the same time Mr. Sun went to bed...right at 8:30 or so. Only 'cause!!! I missed my nap yesterday afternoon and old Billy Bob just don't do that. By 12:30 I was wide awake and think'n. Yeah, I know. Then again at 2:30am think'n "ya may as well get up". What I didn't. But by the time 5:30 rolled around, I jumped up, both feet scoot'n to the coffee pot....ha ha...bet ya though I was gonna say "go pee".

What a beautiful day to go play a round of golf. Nice breeze, a few clouds and only 70 degs. By 9am, I was sweat'n, not a cloud in the sky and not a puff of air. Don't ya just love this desert weather. Ya never know.

Took the "that jeep" down to the welding and fabrication shop to see about getting some work done on the "off road" suspension. They wouldn't touch it. In this time with the economy like it is, ya would think they would welcome some change in their cash register.

At 12:30pm, I put a half chicken and two ears of corn in the solar oven for my dinner tonight. Wouldn't ya know it, here come the clouds and wind. Highest temp I ever got was 250 degs., what was enough to cook the chicken to the bone and the moistest corn ya ever ate. All in three hours with cloud cover.

Oh yeah, I forgot to told ya. I ate half that blackberry cobbler last night and the other half this afternoon. Got to learn me some tricks bout that crust though. Didn't raise at all and the bottom was like a piece of plywood. Old pesky neighbor Wayne, suggested I try Bisquick with some sugar for a pie dough. What do I have to lose???

Boy Howdy, would ya look at that rain? This ain't supposed to be here till tomorrow, but here it is. Rained for almost an hour, on and off "big rain" and "little rain". Now the weeds are gonna grow and someone has to spray them or dig them up. Any way ya look at it, rain means work.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Me guard dogs

Someone once asked me to post some pics of my "ferocious" guard dogs.
'Sadie Mae' is the little black "blue lipped" dog and that "handsome brute" is none other than 'Lug Nut'.


"Sadie Mae" from Corpus Christi, Tx. in the year 2006.







"Lug Nut" stoled from Douglasville, Ga.in the year 2006







Just look'n at them, you would think they was sister and brother, but truth be known, they ain't.
Sadie Mae, a worthless lap dog, was acquired at the loss of a beautiful pedigree Heinz breed, 'Boudreaux'. Boudreaux left this world in the year 2006 due to a vicious attack of epileptic seizure.

"Boudreaux" the 40,000 mile pedigree "Heinz" dog from Lafayette, La. in the year of 2002. He was the goodest of buddies and is still missed dearly.




All was well at 6:30am as I rose to another beautiful day. A bit on the warm side with an expected high for the day of 100 degs. Sit'n on the porch drink'n my morning coffee, I got to think'n.....what I do quite often. "Ya gotta do something today Billy Bob". And that's exactly what I did.
By 9:30am, I done pulled the reflectors off the solar oven, removed all the broken mirrors and installed the new reflective covering, and put 'er all back together. Gonna be cook'n up a half chicken today with corn on the cob. For dessert, we gonna be eat'n half that blackberry cobbler what I cooked yesterday.
******************************************************

2:30pm: Believe it of not, I were sit'n out there on the porch with my eyes closed, think'n, ya know, when all sudden there appears this "glowing" white pick'um up truck from "Sun Energy Corp.". Out jumps this tall dude with long silver white hair, shiny white suit and flip flops with a cut off notice in his hand. Turned off my solar power just like that with a whole sky full of clouds. Jumped back in his pick'um up truck and he were gone.....pooof....just like that. Then I waked up. Clouds all over the place, wind done blowed my reflectors closed and shut down any cook'n for today. See, dreams do come true.

Spent the last hour and a half with my sew machine mak'n a new seat for a lawn chair. Come out pretty dern good, if I do say so myself. Run out of rivits, so it's off to town to buy more. Need to go pick up my meds anyhows.

Ha, back again. Let me tell ya bout pick'n up simple rivets for a simple rivet gun. Ain't no way, ain't gonna happen....not in Deming it ain't.
Then two hours to pick up prescriptions I dropped off yesterday. Ha, boy howdy does Walmart have it down pat. Yesterday the "boy" (pharmacist tech.) changed my address from what it's been for years to my temporary address in Deming. My insurance company said..."HUH???". Got that straightened out and back in line for 20 minutes. Sheesh!!! I love my Walmart.

Chair finished and it sit'n good.

Now that my nerves are on end and I have nothing to eat for supper, I guess I'll just brew me up a great big ole ham, mater and onion sandwich, kick back and do what I do best....nuttin.

See what I ben tell ya???
Yum, Yum, boy howdy!!!

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Sunday again????

Sure wish I had something interesting to write about today. Don't know what it is about Sundays, but I just don't want to do a thing. When ya retire, all days are Sunday.

Since I didn't sleep worth dern last night with all the burp'n, blech'n and puff'n (mild toots), I stayed in the sack till 7am. Not 'cause I wanted to, but the wind blew the door shut last night and Lug Nut had to go pee. I leave the door open so the dogs can go out and the bugs can come in out of the weather. I have every kind of bug imaginable, all swarming around my lap top.

Started my Walmart list while sit'n on the porch drink'n morning coffee. Billy Bob gonna go spend some money. Set the solar oven up at 9:30 for to cook my blackberry cobbler. Bunch of clouds slowed the pre heat process, so cobbler went in at 11am. Aimed it off to the south and headed to town.

Back at 1pm with a load of stuff....mostly stuff to eat (groceries for those that don't know what stuff is). While at the "has everything" store I found one of those solar blankets with the mirror finish. That's what I'm gonna glue to my reflectors to replace the one broken and one cracked mirror. Anyhows, while I was gone, the wind blew one of the reflectors closed, shutting off all means of cook'n my cobbler. One more hour and the cobbler come out all bubbly and hotter an' a blaz'n flame. Use pot holders Billy Bob!!!!

Other than that, old Billy Bob didn't do nuttin again.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Slept in again this morning...6:30. Not 'cause I was want'n to, but I was asleep. Soon as my feet hit the floor, I says "holy cow, now look what ya went and done". I was sore all over. Even my toenails hurt. But mostly this old wore out back. I'm either get'n too much exercise or not enough.

Today was one I have nothing interesting to say about. On top of all the tired and sore bones, I ate the rest of that apple pie for lunch. Not one piece, not two, but all three. That put me slap on the couch with gas cramps to outright sick as a dog. Two doses of alka seltzer and I was able to eat the left overs from last nights dinner.
By the way, the blackberry cobbler is defrosting for the solar oven tomorrow....sun willing.

So there you have it. Another exciting day at Billy Bobs.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Old Farts Golf Tournament

Rolled these old bones out of bed a bit late this morning, but still in time for my first two cups of coffee and "that other eye" to open.

Didn't sleep worth a dern last night think'n if I win this golf tournament today, I'm gonna die. Teed off at 9:15 and holy cow, I'm gonna live. There ain't no body hits an 8 on a par 5. Throw'n this game is gonna be easy. At 6,000 feet, them golf balls just float all over the place....run into trees, out in the weeds, in a creek....yep, altitude does make a difference. Where was your camera Billy Bob???

By the time we got back at 2:30pm, it was way to late to do anything other than a long nap. What I did. Ate me up a big ole chunk that Marie Callenders apple pie and laid my head on a pillow....lights out.

When I waked up, it was time to start think'n supper. Big pork steak, sum taters, can maters, can green beans and the usual spices. All in one pan.


Yum boy howdy!!!!






Ain't a thing on the tv tonight, but then there never is on any night. So's I guess I'll be eat'n supper on the porch and sit'n out there "think'n"....what I do quite often.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

cold morning

Boy howdy, was it ever "brrrrrr" cold this morning. Looks like winter is just around the corner. Went out on the porch to watch the sunrise and it felt like a dream. Cool north breeze and a few clouds.

Yesterday afternoon we had quite a shower here in the desert. Temp dropped from 103 to 93 with in minutes and rain started fall'n out the sky. Hmmmm, maybe it needs to rain more often, not that we need it. Ya gots ta have grass or a freak'n farm to need rain.

Today has been just another day of doing little chores around the ranch house. Picked up a bag of trash and "stuff" I don't need from the porch. Then when it started get'n hot about 10am, I went inside and started pick'n up more junk and "stuff" I don't need. Put all my mail from the last 3 months in a big box in the bedroom to go through at a later date. Then I did up dishes again, for the second time this week. Run slap out of forks. Like to never got the spilled over pie from the cookie sheet from the solar oven. Cooked on like Monkey Glue. Then I did nothing....my favorite activity.


Here's one them big bugs that scares hell out me every night when they land on my head while I'm concentrating on important stuff.
I holler "HEY!!!! GET OFF ME"



Tomorrow there is a golf tournament in Silver City. Annual old farts "Uninvited Invitational". Two years ago I won second place....won a "laid back golfer" cap and some golfing flip flops with spikes. The guy that won first place died this year, so if I win tomorrow, does that mean I have only two more years to live???? To be safe, I think I better "throw" the game.

Good news on the "that jeep". Haven't thought about it for the last 2 days. I did find out that many RV'ers tow one behind their rig with no problems at all. Now what ya gonna do Billy Bob???

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

rebuild da solar oven

Up to another cool morning (69 deg.) with winds out of the north. Clouds all over the place. But now @9:30am the sun is out and the temp is up to 81 degs. Gonna be another hot one.

About yesterday afternoon. I took the apple pie out right at 1pm fully cooked (Pics posted yesterday). Well, it weren't 15 minutes and the weather changed. High winds out of the west did a number on the solar oven. Blew the reflector doors closed and broke one mirror. Back to the drawing board. Figgered now was a good time to rebuild the oven to shed some of the weight. Went off to town to the discount "stuff" store, Walmart, and bought me some that light weight foam board to replace the heavy masonite. Took that sucker apart and had it all back together last night, paint and all. Looks the same but much lighter. This morning I reinstalled the glass door and reflectors. Put'er out in the sun and cranked up the heat.


Picked me up 3 of them for sale signs to put in "that jeep" as suggested by Uncle Ben. See, I do read the comments section. Sure hate to tell prospective buyers all that is wrong with it.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Beautiful morning in the desert

Today I rolled out of bed, both eyes wide open, ready to take on a new day and feeling wonderful from head to foot. Boy, what a switch. A mite warm this morning at 73 degs, so's I rekon we gonna have another hot one by mid day. hee hee...that's nap time under the a/c.

Got all kinds of stuff planned for the morning, but everyone knows how plans go.
*Update: (7am) Old pesky neighbor just came over....he has no power to his 5th wheel. Looks like old Billy Bob gotta go fix it.
*Update: Old pesky neighbor Wayne is lucky to still be alive. Whole passel of burnt wires in the breaker box, but old Billy Bob fix it like new. (one wire caught on fire and burned insulation off 2 more wires)

Now that my morning is almost shot (9:45am), maybe I better rethink my plans. It's already getting hot (89 deg.)....a/c on and little sweat beads forming on my head.

Lug Nut got out last night and went skedaddling after a couple rabbits. He never catches them but he's a hoot to watch. Ya gotta love yer dog!!!

Plan for this morning is to bake that Marie Callenders Apple pie in da solar oven. This is not a test. It's the real thing. Pics later.

Now off to do something..................
All I can say is "whoopty do, yee ha and wow".....take a look at this...300 degs. Is that an apple pie I see in there???














Got the porch almost cleaned off for the water hose, bleach and scrub brush. But it got too hot. Should be cool enough by 10pm, but by them, I'm gonna be in bed.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Up just in time to see the sun "peep eying" over the mountains over there. Nice and cool again, 66.9 deg.

....did I ever tell ya bout the time............... back in the early 90's, some us guy fellers from the maintenance shop at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute at Port Aransas, Texas decided to enter the annual Port Aransas Chili Cook Off.
Since I had placed the year before with my famous special recipe Hobo Chili, we decided to go all out this year with full dress hobo uniforms (a sight to be seen), a hobo shack and the usual "steal'n stuff". Our cook'n vessel was a brand new 30 gallon garbage can, what we beat the crap out of with hammers and sticks. Stirred the concoction with an old boat oar. After cook'n our Hobo Chili for hours, sampling tequila, drink'n beer and rais'n hell all day, it was "jugin" time. All the judges were about "wasted" on beer and hard stuff, so we figgered the only winning chili would have to be "macho" hot. Hot enough to burn the hair off yer tonge. So...that's what we done. Some "girlie" chili won first place. We placed 2nd place for show.
Recipe for Hobo Chili:
15 pounds 80/20 course ground hamburger
10 pounds 'hot' pork sausage
4-great big cans whole tomatoes hand crushed (bout 3 1/2 gallon)
1/2 gallon chopped jalepenos
6 cups plus 1/4 tspn Gebhearts Chili powder
1/2 cup fine chopped garlic
1/4 cup fresh course crushed black pepper
salt to taste (bout 1/2 cup) or less
3 1/2 gallons water
12 pac beer (for chili)
30 pac beer (for cooks)
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Here it is another day gone by, but it wasn't a complete waste. Had insurance transfered from my little red Bronco II to the "that jeep". Had insurance card emailed to me in Deming and printed it out. All legal. Ordered my mail from Port Aransas by way of my forwarding service.
Messed with the solar oven a few minutes ths morning just to see if I can make that 300 deg mark. Nope...290 again. Built a lazy Susan for it to sit on for ease of sun pointing....works like a charm.
Went off to town and did a couple loads of laundry and got back just in time for lunch. Fried me up some shredded cabbage and shredded ham on olive oil pan toasted bread with deli mustard. Bet ya a nickel I be mak'n that again. It was absolutely great. Would'a took a pic, but I were hungry.
Forgot to pick up the "for sale" signs for "that jeep" again. Gonna sell that sucker and forget I ever bought it. Hate to lose money, but I guess it's better than losing my mind. Should be able to get $4500 as is. Lot's of "offroaders" in this area, so I shouldn't have too much problem moving it.
For dinner tonight, I may just make me another one them lunch sandwiches.
Too freak'n hot to cook a roast....102 deg. @5pm.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

brain cells at work

Beautiful sunrise this morning, shining right in my eyes through the windshield. Sat in the doorway for a bit, with Lug Nut by my side, wait'n for the final "blug blug of the coffee pot. And I got to think'n. Today, I'm gonna do something different. Don't know what it is, but it's gonna be different.
I suppose the first thing I will do is go play a round of golf...."what's so different bout that Billy Bob"??? I should really stay home, with the possibility of doing nothing, but I do that quite often, only to beat myself up later in the day...when it's too late to start something. Why the hell did I retire to this life of leisure and the pursuit of happiness??? Hee hee, I'll tell ya why. I like's it.

Ok, nonsense aside. Let's get serious for a change. LOL right, Billy Bob get serious??? I'm not only losing sleep over this "that jeep", but my nerves are on edge and bout to jump off. I get in that thing, step on the gas and varooooommmmm, 0 to 60 in nothing flat....i like that. Then I pull back in on the dirt driveway and "bang bang clatter clatter rattle rattle bang bang"....I don't like that. Folks, I really don't like my brand new 97' Jeep Grand Cherokee. To me, it's junk with all that "rock crawl'n, off road'n, great big tires" stuff on it. Some guy wants to trade "his" jeep for "my" jeep....straight across. But, "my" jeep is worth 3 times what "his" jeep is worth.
Back later....tee time
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Well, that didn't take long. Nice easterly breeze kept me cool as a cucumber. Back to the shack by a little after 10am and got me some porch time. But as I was sit'n out there, I got to think'n. "Billy Bob, ya gotta do something bout this mess". What I did.

Backed the little red Bronco II up and started load'n for the dumpster. Then I went on a "repair" mission to fix the storage compartment on the back of the porch....what got tore up in the high winds of Deming. All fixed and ready to clean out and fill back up with "junk".
I'm a think'n Uncle Ben would be proud of me if'n he seen all the junk I keep. Redneck stuff.

Boy Howdy, it's get'n hot outside. Checked the solar oven....Hmmmmm, only 290 degs. But with the wind, I expect that to be about it. Dern, I want to see 300. Ain't gonna cook nuttin today since I have enough chili spaghetti to last lunch and one more dinner. Oh, by the way, it came out next best thing to perfect. Much better than the dishes I done yesterday...still sit'n on the sink. Don't wanna rush into anything, ya know.
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Saturday, July 11, 2009

Day of rest

Is today Saturday, the day of rest and lay back??? Well anyhows, that what old Billy Bob been do'n all day.

First off this morning I decided I was gonna sleep in "ways" past 7am. Ha, that didn't work either. Dag nab leg cramps gonna put your feet on the floor real quick. For you peoples that don't have leg cramps, ya don't know what ya miss'n. Ya ain't gonna sleep in, that's for sure.

Sit here drink'n coffe and watch'n them paint programs on PBS this morning when I got to think'n. Ya gotta do something Billy Bob. Look at all the dishes in the sink. And how bout tak'n the trash out? Ya could vacuum, ya know. Holy cow, what was I think'n???

Right bout 9:30 I put them half cooked brownies in the solar oven (upside down) and forgot all bout them. Went off to town look'n for shocks for the Jeep and all of a sudden, I remembered the brownies. Bach home real quick and them brownies are definitely fully cooked. Ya ever ate bread what been sit'n in the sun for 3 days??? Good thing I still have most of my teeth....and a little hammer.

Now, ya wanna know what I found out on the internet??? Them brownies were supposed to be covered with a lid. I suppose to keep the collected heat inside. If I didn't choke on pop corn hulls, I would take Bens suggestion and try pop corn in the oven.

Put the old body to work this afternoon do'n dishes and trash. I think the vacuum can wait a few more days. While I doing all this house work, I'm in the process of mak'n a pot of chili spaghetti. Bet ya a nickel the chili spaghetti come out better than the house work.
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Friday, July 10, 2009

Gonna take me a lesson from Old Uncle Ben and do some writ'n during the day so's I don't fergit what I did. But I must tell ya, I don't write early while's "that other eye" is still closed.

Up a few minutes late this morning....5:45. Plum near missed the sunrise sleep'n in all morning....lol. Arrived at the Country Club right at 7:20 and teed up at 7:30. Swak'ed that golf ball right over that tree out there in the fareway. It gets harder to do that every year. Not 'cause I'm get'n older, but the tree is get'n taller.

Arrived back at the "not ordinary" rv park in time to put a pan of brownies in the "almost finished" solar oven by 10:30. Cranked up "that" Jeep and went to my favorite store, Walmart, for a few supplies. Bought me a big ole Marie Callenders Apple pie and a Mrs. Smiths Blackberry cobbler. Boy Howdy, am I gonna be eat'n some sweet stuff for the next week. Maybe gain some of that 15 pounds back I lost on my last two trips. Can't buy ice cream since I live 15 minutes from town and it would melt, plus, there ain't no room in my little freezer.

Groceries all put up and checked da brownies.
Hmmmm.....that oven mak'n some heat today and the brownies look great. I think they might be done. Tooth pick come out clean'r 'an a whistle.








Time to heat up "laughed overs" for lunch.
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Now that lunch and a long nap is over, lets make a close inspection of this brownie cake. Cut'er up into 9 equal size squares with a really sharp knife...the dull one just scratched the super hard surface.....well, not like a rock, but hard. I guess we can call test #5 another failure as the bottom was like chew'n Double Bubble chew gum.
In other words, not done. Someone please tell me "that's the way they supposed to be".




Ok, I know what happened. Old Billy Bob got in a hurry and started cook'n before the oven was hot. Anyone buy that idea??? Or do you suppose I need that heavy metal plate under the pan like the web sites says to do??? I think I need some help here before I put that high dollar apple pie in this contraption.









Thursday, July 9, 2009

Called in sick

Boy howdy, what is wrong now? I woke this morning to a rumbling stomach and sore all over. After a pot of coffee, I thought maybe a breakfast was in order. Well that didn't work out any better than the coffee did. Popped an alka seltzer think'n I would be good to go...that didn't work either. So, I just laid around all day feeling sorry for myself.
Now, what could have caused this sickness to befall me? I know....it's that damn Jeep sitting outside. I think John Wells, along with a few others, had a short discussion about "stress" a short while back. You don't suppose???? Oh yeah, I forgot to take my meds yesterday. You don't suppose???
Anyhows, this is all I have to write tonight. Tomorrow is another day.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Get'n up too early

Sheesh, Billy Bob, ya gonna have to quit play'n golf or something. This get'n up at 5:30 every morning is beginning to suck. Yeah, I went and played golf again.

Dropped the Jeep off at the repair place this morning....before golf. When I called at @2:30pm to check progress, Jack gave me some more bad news. Front brakes were metal to metal and had to turn the rotors....that gonna be another couple hundred. Hmmmm, what about the back?? They gotta be bad too. Picked up Jeep at 5pm and brung'er home. Now what is the alignment gonna cost? I'm gonna have a $6000 Jeep before I get it right....sheesh!!!

Had a spectacular noonrise last night, so I broke out my trusty digital camera. Didn't come out very good, but with my tripod in south Texas, what more ya want?

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

ain't gonna do nuttin

Roll'n this old body out of bed this morning was a chore. But I did it by 5:30. What I tell my pesky neighbor, Wayne..."no one gets up at 5:30 in the morning", but when ya gotta be at the golf course by 7:15, ya gotta break some rules. Back home by 10:30...now what ya gonna do Billy Bob?

Looked out in the yard at my solar oven and decided to do test #4...boil water. Ha, that didn't work. Put a quart of cold tap water in the cold oven and in 45 minutes the oven was up to bout 220 degs, but the water was just sit'n there doing nothing. Two hours later, the water was just sit'n there doing nothing but mak'n little tiny bubbles on the bottom of the pan. Hmmmmm....more research.

In the mean time, I went inside to get out of the west Texas heat that had spilled into south New Mexico. Boy howdy, it must be hot in Terlingua today.

Went out to the brand new Jeep Grand Cherokee to move it out of my pesky neighbors yard and the sucker wouldn't start. Dag nab kids must have got in it and left the key on. Oh wait, maybe it were me when I was check'n out stuff. Tomorrow is ball joint day, so it better crank up at 7:30am.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Solar oven test day

Boy Howdy, was old Billy Bob excited this morning....after I got that "other eye" open. Beautiful sunrise with a few scattered clouds. Gonna be a perfect day for solar oven testing.

9am, drug that heavy contraption out on the fresh mowed lawn and pointed her to the sun. Gonna be need'n wheels and a "follow me" handle. By 10am, the temp was up to 200 degs, but it was slow go after that.

How long does it take to pre heat one these things??
By 11:30 it was up to 240 degs, so I turned it into the sun again and put in a pan of biscuits at exactly 12 noon.




One hour later and we got biscuits....not the best I ever ate, but biscuits none the less.






Now we gonna move on to
test #3.....Chicken and corn on the cob.
As to not waste time, I will take a nap.





5pm and chicken still not done. When I woke up from my nap, the sun done moved to a different country. After 2 1/2 hours it were only 150 degs in the breast. But in the process, I done learnt me something. Ya don't cook when the wind is blow'n on the glass. Poof, all my heat gone (200 degs with wind).


Ha, 6:30pm and all I can say is "Billy Bob, ya done did it again". Dinner was perfect. Chicken was juicy (and done), corn was tender as jello...well, maybe not jello, but it were good.






Now I am done for the day. Been a wonderful and exciting day for an old fart that has nothing to do.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

July 4th at Billy Bobs

Wall shoot.... I done missed my post for yesterday, but I didn't miss the day. Since it were the 4th., I slept in till 7am think'n I would do something special and "exciting". Ha, turned out to be just another day, but it weren't wasted by no means. Now for the hard part....what did I do.

Sit'n on the porch....what is allowed in my Rv park, sip'n on a fresh pot of coffee, I got to think'n. "This is the life". Ain't got no job to go to. Play golf any time I want. Take a nap every day. If ya wanna go, ya go. Do dishes when ya run out of forks. Clean house on "my" terms. Yep, life is wonderful.

Here was the start of my July 4th.

......And here was my end.................

Sunday July 5th.....up bright and early for a 7:30 tee time. That is after a pot of coffee and a mug to go. I was swak'n that ball right down the middle of the fareway, for a change. Struck an 88, what ain't too shabby.
Back home by 11am to two very energetic canines....canines are dogs, right? Stumbled through the clutter of tools and junk on the porch from yesterdays construction project. Didn't take long and I was at it again....we gonna be cook'n by solar tomorrow.










Friday, July 3, 2009

stuck in the desert

Let me tell ya what it's like when ya live in the desert and have no job. By living in the desert, what I mean is, parking the motor home at a cheap RV park in anticipation of only being here for a short time. That's what ya do when ya live in an RV. But sometimes, it don't work that way and you end up "living" in some God awful place you only intended to visit for a short spell. Don't get me wrong now. The desert is a wonderful place to live....for some. For all the others, God invented forests, plains, grasslands and big cities.

Now, what you talk'n bout "no job"??? With the unemployment rate at 9.5% and rising, get'n a job is the least of my concerns. What I'm think'n is, after ya work for 40 plus years, pay'n taxes and contributing to the social security fund, there comes a time ya can sit back and reap what ya sowed. If'n ya think about it, you do "have" a job. Maybe not like that guy over there, but ya still have to get up every morning...on your terms..., decide what to wear today...on your terms..., do your daily chores...on your terms... and plan your work day....on your terms.
I got to think'n last night....I do that quite often, that if'n I still have another 20 or so years to live, I need to do something really exciting and adventurous. I done built one of them high speed three wheel "sail cars" a few years back, but one "big" tree and "poof" it were gone. These things don't have brakes...ya know!!!!
I did the "gold prospecting" thing a few years back and found bout $700 worth of that yeller stuff, but I can't do that no more. Too much like "work", and ya know, I don't work no more. Now what the hell am I gonna do????


I know.....go to the Country Club and play a round of golf.
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Well, golf game was just another "bad" game. Started raining on the second hole, but not enough to deter from swak'n golf balls. It was a fun game.

Made a couple trips to town for "solar oven" parts and groceries. Took two tries to get it right.
After groceries were put up and a fresh pot of coffee to brew, I started laying out lines on a 4X8 piece of 1/4" masonite. An hour later, I had a bunch of pieces that were want'n to be put together.
Outter box is done and wait'n for the inner "oven" box and the glass door and the mirror reflectors and the chicken and the chocolate cake. First test will be "how long to boil water".



That was my day, and I'm proud of it!!!


Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Half down and half to go

Hey....lookie here....someone done used up half my year. Can you believe that this year is half gone? Some where it seems like I missed something in the last six months. But....let me check the old memory cells. Jan. and Feb. I was in southern Ca. and Yuma, Az., boondocking, enjoying warn weather, having camp fires, and catch'n a freezer full of Rainbow trout. Then in April, I was off to Texas for two months. Now I'm back in Deming, play'n golf and buy'n old junk Jeeps.

Oh, did someone mention Jeep? This morning I took the Jeep to another automotive repair facility for another estimate to replace the worn slap out ball joints. Hmmmm, how can this place be $400 cheaper than the other place? Does this mean I saved another $400??? Looks like next week I will be driving a Jeep that will go straight and not vibrate.

And on top of that, I crawled under the Jeep with grease gun in hand and went to work greasing those ridiculous long arm suspension thingys, anything else that looked like it needed greasing. That rattle noise is much better now, but I think the damage was done by previous owner. My only alternative is to replace then @ $350 each or weld the adjustment ends solid as a rock. This is a $1399.00 suspension kit, according to the manufacturers web site. Plus someone had to have this junk installed. What the hell was I thinking????

Went back to town this after noon to pick up parts for the solar oven. Come back two hours later with only one part...a piece of glass. Deming has nothing!!! Lumber yard didn't have any 1/4" plywood. Air conditioning place didn't have any duct board. LOL....wonder if the paint selling place has any flat black paint.

Gonna have laughed overs for dinner tonight. Took a big "chunk of chicken" out and defrosted for the grill along with an ear of corn to roast, but then I remembered I have left overs to get rid of.

That my friends, was all I did today, although I was all geared up to make something (solar oven).