Hey Heather….(what was her last name again…..?)
Do you know Dale Clark?
Gotta sit on the Fence with this one…& I’ve never heard Heather play…
But, I don’t think The Men are Backin’ Down…
Arco-The Trio. Noble Hops March 20, 2016. Oro Valley.
Follow
Mar 29 2016
Similarities Amongst Male Species. Figure 1.1 Men & Pugs.
by admin
Uuuujjjjayiiii!!!
Both Men & Men Pugs,
intuitively Master
Shavasana, Rolling to One Side
and Ujjayi Breathing
before even attending a class.
Mar 28 2016
Monday Mornin’ Post Yoga Paranoia.
by admin
I’m sure everyone’s Sick
Of hearing me talk about it, but….
(nervous laugh…)
I’m just saying‘…
Whew! Livin’ on the Edge in Marana!
Just a-Nutha’ Maan-ic Monday…
Nov 13 2015
Strategy…meeting Garry.
by admin
Meeting Garry Kasparov.
I’m “testing” some stuff but thought I might as well share Wed. night’s Plaza Library Events and the subsequent shared family texts. So, don’t look for substance in this first post in about a YEAR, it’s more of a technical ‘back in the saddle’ of wordpress and the new responsive app. I AM PLEASED. Thank you [I don’t want to say name of company until I ask them] for such good work.
Kasparov began with addressing the Soviet philosophy of rule by propaganda with mental intimidation being manifest in their grooming of youth to be world leaders at Chess. So, I of course thought of my son and his father playing Chess when Jack was in grade school. I share that below.
I thought he handled the questions very well, especially in giving no comment to the mention of Edward Snowden except to say (and I’m paraphrasing from memory)…
“Do you mean am I going to talk about security and privacy in America? No. Edward Snowden told secrets of American Government and he is now in prison in Russia.”
Okay! Got it!
Didn’t appear a fan of current administration from perspective of lack of credibility in enforcing word (stick). Also mentioned difficulty for Europe to “bond” with U.S. Government when each administration swings to extremes on pendulum, but didn’t touch the audience person stating that the two party system was broke.
Hmmm…what else…? Much more, here is the book. 
And, I had to share the picture with family because I did inadvertently meet Garry up close and personal.
A Good Funny, Jack! Mom was listening and you always make me laugh…this is GREATLY appreciated. We never talked about your era of chess players and mine, but I believe the Bobby Fisher game was the same summer as Watergate. I remember because at Sherwood Forest Camp, they set up the TV in the Lodge and we saw both the game and the hearings.
Bob Hope and Bobby Fisher Chess Game
The Spartans Cheer at Chess and are Dressed down by the Chess Team…(Go to NBC.com SNL…don’t think I can embed these links).
So what does one do?
The Perfect Cheer! So, if you were ever a chess player or a cheerleader or yell leader, go to nbc.com to see this video if you want to feel fond of everyone in your high school. And, here’s Bobby Fischer with Bob Hope, not to steal Garry’s Winter thunder. Enjoy the Art, Funny, and Games that bring the world together at the Table.
Thank you, Garry for the Stop in KC. Thank you Crosby Kemper for the Great Programming.
And anyone watching, please share if you remember where you were when you saw Bobby Fisher or Kasparov play Chess in the World Championship. And, mostly, selfishly, if there is anything technically that doesn’t work in this site!
Nov 25 2014
Bikes and looking for Gary….or at least his spirit…
by admin
Gary and Handmade Bike Bags
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaI5IRuS2aE[/youtube]
Sometimes I see something creative and inspiring and I have to talk to the person who made it, wore it, put it out there for us. And people are so kind about sharing why…how….. Like Gary, when he told me about his beautiful handmade bike bags.
This is Gary smiling in front of the Delano McDonald’s, where the 21st c. cowboys hang out.
And I think I have sometimes called Gary homeless, just to identify, but Gary isn’t homeless at all. Because Gary knows more than anyone that this land was made for you and me and he.
Gary’s outlook on life seemed like a great way to start Monday morning. And, since the days are getting shorter, you might see him. He’ll be heading from Jackson Hole back down south and maybe hangin’ for a while in Wichita. So, I wanted to alert you to look for him.
We may have met him before and we’ll certainly meet him again. He is a pleasure…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31x1hYntyKk[/youtube]And, given all the negative stuff we see about our country sometimes, I feel his outlook is refreshing. Gary takes the things I complicate, and makes me realize how complicated we can make our lives.
I would expect that riding on a bike across the countryside throughout the year is a pretty good way to see how beautiful America really is. Here is Gary, whittling it down to the essence…
Nov 24 2014
Cowboys of Delano: past and present
by admin
I was running in Wichita Saturday morning in downtown Delano, a small historic area just west of dowtown Wichita. Delano has a wonderful clocktower, thriving businesses and is just across the river west of the downtown, a mile or so north of US hwy 54 (Kellogg) the east-west artery running directly through the city.
A Rotary in Kansas!
In 1870, Delano became an important cattle-shipping center on the Chisholm Trail. With promises of $50 in eastern markets, cattleman drove cattle through Jesse Chisholm’s “cattle highway”, in this particular area, herding cattle across what is now the Douglas Street Bridge and south to pens on Kellogg. I’m partial to it because the cattle shipping industry became a crucial part of the formation of Delano as a recreational district for cowboys.
Delano was the rough side of town as vices were kept out of the Wichita area. Most of the gambling, drinking and prostitution took place in the township of Delano, which did not have any law enforcement. Guns were checked at the bridge before you could cross into Wichita. People would shoot their guns and there were gunfights. I also heard later that it cost $5 to cross the bridge into Wichita which would have been quite the cover fee to hang out with the civilized folk when it was probably more fun west of the river. It’s still a fun place.
I run from my daughter’s apartment at Friends University (see Friends University, New Year’s Eve 2010) north and east at 7:30 am when I’m in the city, so I was afoot when I met the first cowboy from Delano, a man without a mortgage.
First a word about bikers.
Wichita has more than it’s share of bikeriders downtown. All of the missions and kitchens are located in this area and for those living and surviving in the downtown area, it is the perfect size city for bike mode. When I worked downtown, I was so motivated and impressed by people I saw braving the vehicles that my kids and I rode our bikes from the ne suburban side of town 10 miles through the various historic neighborhoods, under the interstate, arriving downtown with our Old town destination.
I notice bikeriders. Not the guys on the weekends in bikeshorts who bike for exercise and sport. While I did use the bikepaths near our apartment to get to the retail area on the weekends, it seems like we are building bikepaths in all the wrong parts of town. So, when I saw this man riding in the sub-freezing weather with his house on his wheels, I had to stop him to ask about his gear.
He said his name was Gary, and he was kind to stop and tell me about his stuff. He shared his creativity, his plans for the day and spring, andI knew I wanted to hear more. And, he said I could take a picture. People are so kind about this. Not having my camera, I decided to run his direction to McDonald’s where he was heading for breakfast to hear more.
He said he was Gary Isaacson, not from Wichita, but born and raised in Callao, Missouri. He mentioned that after the snow and bad weather was over, he’d be heading to Jackson in a few weeks. Gary didn’t offer all of this, I was prying, but he seemed willing to share when I asked questions. I asked about the cold, about where he slept, and shelters. He said that he was acclimated, told of the bridges and sheltered areas where he spent the night, and said that didn’t frequent shelters because it made it difficult to readjust to being outdoors. He looked healthy and happy and I said remarked on this. His response, “I’m right where I want to be.”
Arriving at McDonald’s, he agreed to read the paper a bit inside after his breakfast waiting for me to run home and return with my camera to take pictures and talk more.
Aug 3 2014
If Ya Gotta Go Sue-ioux….make mine a Blond German from Copeland.
by admin
Ken Widener showing tanned hides to Boy Scout, Lutheran Stone School 15 miles south of Meade Kansas. Folk Arts Festival at the Stone School, summer 1989.
We had two Folk Arts Festivals at a one-room Schoolhouse south of Meade, Kansas. There were over a 1,000 people in attendance at the first, and this was on the day of a huge rainstorm. It’s always time to party when it rains in southwest Kansas.
We wrote a Grassroots Arts Grant to fund it, which mainly consisted of
- renting big tents (made donation) from the Nat’l Guard with their donated labor to put these up,
- Mennonite Church Women hosting a delicious meal at nominal price for lunch,
- people collecting antique steam tractors hauling them to the site,
- woodworkers & burners,
- PBS level Indian specialists such as Ken Widener, a farmer from Copeland,
- Sharon Rooney who displayed spinning yarn,
- Fritz Davis from the Kansas Touring Program playing for all of us. Later, “pickup” musicians from Fowler brought in their bass and guitar to jam inside the schoolhouse when the rain started to come down.
- It was pretty magical, have the footage but it’s on different era of video or I’d stick it in here, not lost though.
- Goodnight Irene…..remember this vividly with rain on the roof….it came back to me at Yoga this morning in downtown Overland Park with the rain on the roof, though not sure why because the music was something with shiva in the words and I still don’t know what that means, but it was peaceful.
PS What I most remember about Ken, who had icy blue eyes and curly blond hair, was his comment about dating.
He worked with his father and spent a lot of time on a tractor when he didn’t have a part in any PBS documentary. [I thought this was pretty impressive and indicative of his ability to model behavior since he was blond and I hadn’t thought this was a genetic trait. But in hindsight, since he was also German, maybe there are some characteristics of similarity between the two cultures, dunno. Please forgive me if I’m offending anyone here with broad generalizations about cultures or early tribes of origin.]
So back to his comment. He said that he needed a wife because the women did the beadwork. I didn’t take this wrong, he just needed a support system and later found a wonderful person.
I’m not sure who did the tanning, that also appeared pretty time consuming. I believe the men exclusively historically did the large animal hunt, but maybe someone else has a few random stories to tell…
I don’t bank on anyone’s history about who did the designs….when has labor ever not put their mark on their handiwork regardless of whose signature is on it, whose body wears it, or who funds it? 🙂
That’s called “Making something beautiful is worth doing well.” It sometimes takes a lot of spirit to get the job Done.
Jun 15 2014
See, C-, sea, XIT…the Father of We.
by admin
How is it that God just picks the right people for the right jobs?
It’s Father’s Day.
How is it that Jesus keeps us all a family?
It’s all pretty magic.
But I do think something is out there that sees something…
that we are then lucky enough to see.
I don’t know what this picture is, but I did when I took it….snow, mud, tracks, I know that.
But what is this combination? Not for me to know or see now.
snow, mud, track. XIT Ranch, Jan 2011.
I do remember the days after Jack and Lace were gone and when these pictures were taken.
I was riding along as I did before our lives were so busy with having children…
raising them, raising livestock, teaching them and ourselves how to live, act,
follow or not, right or wrong.
Snow in sandy road. XIT, Jan 2011.
That day, there just seemed to be patterns everywhere…
I just stumbled on these today, looking for a Father’s Day picture, for the Father of my stock.
C-the grid, pipe, and window panes ahead…
I don’t know if I was looking forward or back, likely neither just staying in present.
Create shelter for machines stored, broken…not in use…
Or perhaps…..just looking…
Blue Sky, Red Pump, Black Tire.
For storage for things where new life is yet to be known…too precious to discard
…things to be mended…full of memory…
a premium moment.
Pellet and Palette.
Keep the feed dry ready, the palette ready to load….
He has a plan, we just don’t always see it right away.
Jun 13 2014
Princess Rose & Her Red Leather Bed.
by admin
![Rosie and Mei Rose [1990-1996], June 2014.](https://backattheranchwithpaula.com/coffee/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IMG_5377-450x600.jpg)
Rosie and
Mei Rose [1990-1996],
June 2014.
“Hurry it up, I’m not getting any younger…”
Rosie’s really has a fire underneath me these days. She’s not the only one either…
My routine is basically that I go to gather with like-minded folks in the morning, sometimes yoga, sometimes coffee & crosswords, sometimes a ‘house’ of sorts. The hope is that we’ll all head off into our workdays with no cross words, connecting a bit to forge on.
For me this has been things like moving 4x in 3 yrs., a bit of time in court and meeting rooms doing some bidness, applying for about 35 jobs, burning the social hours at non-profit events to both network in a new town and beat the bushes to find ‘a job’ with my multi-disciplinary degree’d-work past on Plains, lots of “accounting”, the Callan Table & John Bogle, careful people choices, learning by experience that No and Why and treating others as they treat you are pretty powerful, and even when I don’t like to do it I try to be civil about it.
But somehow, she’s just not understanding that amidst searching … researching the PhD with classes in Lawrence, grasping ‘Bridge’ & ‘Brush tip’ at JUCO CS6, in composing the letter and mindset of the job apps that will not get interviews, the networking with people and relationships and details and annoyance with advice from random places of irrelevance and my condo latency diagnosis with Time Warner and finding a way to serve others needs to avoid figuring out how to serve my own and if it’s not one thing it’s your brother or mother…..
I mean, doing and trying lots of things
to find one’s way in a new place of living and life and all that trivia in itself
Can be so distracting AND IT TAKES SO MUCH TIME!!!
And, she just sits there like the Queen, staring at me from her throne, now even more since my friend Paul began to refer to her as The Rose.
The other day she somewhat confronted me, sitting right there in the middle of my Red Leather Bed beneath my black pug painting and queried me who gives her egg yolks. She was making statements of hierarchy and higher purpose about which I have bristled a bit.
I just have to vent so I’ll tell you how it went….
[legend: Rose in Red. Paula in Indigo. As with most hearsay, you’re somewhat entering the conversation midstream…]
“Whattaya mean….? if I’m NOT The Alpha Dog of this Place, then why am I
- the One Who has the Best Bed,
- which matches my red leather collar and leash,
- under me where I sit under my Portrait, front & center in-between the
- first Matriarch, Prairie Pug,
Po Ching on Green Ottoman. XIT Ranch 1987.
- and her Father, Winston, who was eaten by a Coyote at 6 months?’ [Winston tastes good, like a….”]
Winston as Puppy with Dandelion by Concrete partition.
Xmas 1983, McCormick Ranch/Scottsdale.
“you have a sick sense of humor, Rose!”
“That’s not YOU! …That’s Mei Rose. You weren’t even a glimmer then, and Mei was definitely not the Alpha Dog, poor thing. I got her when I was contemplating having Jack, never a good idea. She didn’t receive adequate attention. Po Ching didn’t help, as nice as she was about it….you know, that ‘smugness of 1st Pug-ness.'”
“And you better hope that’s NOT your portrait. There’s a reason that front porch was the Dead Dog Portrait Gallery, Rose.
Life & People & Self & Coyotes can really Eat ‘cha up & Run You Over…
It can be a real Bitch for a Bitch out there on a Ranch, it’s hard…
Not every Dog’s jes’ ‘sittin’ in a condo in suburbia eatin’ chocolate‘ as we are doin’ now.”
“Don’t tell me that Mei Rose story again, it’s completely irrelevant. The UPS Truck in JOCO has no need for speed. That company’s not losing any bucks with this demographic.”
“And, I won’t chase that driver down the hall again, but I hardly think he’s going to run me down in his brown boots and tight little shorts.
“Do tell me that part again, though. Did he ever figure it out? What’d he say ‘what ever happened to that little black dog of yours?'”
“Nope. What was I going to say, ‘ flattened’? I didn’t have the heart to tell him. At least she was remembered.”
“And besides, it’s not about who’s in the limelight, or who’s the most successful, who’s favored or the golden child or heir apparent….”
“It’s about doing things when it’s the right time. Historical continuity is just about a story that keeps unfolding, and we’re all a part of this story, we need to respect each others feelings, be safe to express ourselves to then be able to have moments of expression that are our gift from God…it’s a path that each person has to make for themselves and before we do this we have to stumble over and over and get up and then let go of our ego to give in that we can’t control everything, often not ourselves when we wander off topic…, and then to assess what works and doesn’t and then not let these defects keep us from…” ‘need I go on? I’m getting tired, you usually interrupt me by now…’
“I was practicing patience.”
“I mean it!” Back to the topic of me. Dog ages put me right there at about 42. If you put me ‘out there’ until summer of ’16 I’ll be 48. I’ve already got quite a bit of white, that’s why everyone asks how old I am!”
footnote:
Small Breeds Dog’s Age 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15
Human Age 15 28 36 40 48 56 64 76
“Rose, they aren’t asking you that because of the white, it’s because you’re such a small pug. And since you’ve been eating all the tuna and sardines, you really are cut for a female, a pretty slim pug. I think they think you are a puppy….”
“Don’t fool yourself and don’t project...do you ever believe it when people say stuff like this to you?”
“Just quit talking and get to work, clock is tickin’ and you’re not going to live forever. I mean what else do you have to do, and what do you really think, that you’re going to get a job???? That’s what the ex-Sprint-exec UMKC Kauffman man said to you yesterday and he said he’d been there…..re-think!! This is an opportunity! Quit being lazy and afraid!!!”
“What do you think architecture school and that Academic Thesis Torture and interior design in Paris with all those scary Frenchmen and all this artsy stuff was all about!!!???? It’s not that great! You’re not Frank Wright or Michelangelo or any kind of Power Ranger at all!!! Don’t worry about it being any good or perfect or people saying, ‘I don’t know why I just hate it and it’s bad and you’re a dumb flake and you’re annoying and live alone and I don’t like you either?’ Who really gives a $h!t, just keep on doing it like you always have and it pretty much always gets better! Work your program!”
“Well, the technology part of it in Adobe is really hard and just that, major focus and skills in many programs. And while I like this when I get into it it’s both so dry and so frustrating and time intensive that I sometimes spend all day learning a lot but have no visual record of this reward….“
“Well that’s why they sometimes call work work. And whattted your web designer just tell you??!! ‘Get out the scissors!!!’ The hard part is the marketing, selling it, that’s what you’re afraid of, you’ve been trying to stick yourself in places where no one could see you or work your whole life, to use that as an excuse, and now trying to figure out what you have to sell…just do it!? Things fail, over and over, that’s life, your whole life is just a series of failures, that’s the fun, that’s the adventure, always has been….
….you get right back on the horse and stay on the trail and wait for the next fork and take it! It’s all a game, but you gotta keep rollin’ the dice! Just DO IT??!!!”
“Do WHAT?” “What’s my product?” “What do I have to sell?”
MEEE!!!!! I’m your product!!! Cher’s right here in front of you, in her prime, and you’re trying to make a Master’s Thesis out of what made Cher Cher.
Draw a few pictures, Prairie Pug can visit a few place, learn a few lessons….
then I’m ON!
NEXT CHAPTER!
Get with it!
Get with the Program!
Work your Program!
“Harsh! Rose, that’s Harsh!”
“And besides, this is a relationship. Would I not be exploiting you in this brief time that we are really together on this earth? …it seems so capitalistic and shrewd…”
“Look we all use each other, or what do you call it in your mid 50s zone…’reciprocities’…
‘What Everrr…. ‘
‘Just do it and make this bed first. There’s Dog Hair all over my pillows.”
There’s a reason
your sponsor needs to be the same gender.
But they never warned us
about the dangers of at times sleeping together
in a Red Leather Bed.
(But I’m NOT vacuuming up her damn hair first.)
Boundaries.