Thanks. My dad, Joe wrote that one many years ago. Thought I would share it. I lived in Texas 30 years before moving into the Cajun country. Still go back every once in a while.

An old farmer went to town to see a movie. The ticket agent said. “Sir, what is that on your shoulder?” The old farmer said, “That is my pet rooster, Chuckie. Where ever I go, Chuckie goes.”

I’m sorry, Sir,” said the ticket agent. “We can’t allow animals in the theater. Not even a pet chicken.”

The old farmer went around the corner and stuffed the chicken down his pants. He returned to the booth, bought a ticket and entered the theater. He sat down next to two old widows named Mildred and Marge.

The movie started and the chicken began to squirm. The old farmer unzipped his pants so Chuckie could stick his head out and watch the movie.

“Marge,” whispered Mildred. “What?” said Marge. “I think the guy next to me is a pervert” “What makes you think so?” asked Marge. “He has his thing out,” whispered Mildred.

“Well, don’t worry about it,” said Marge, At our age we’ve seen them all.” “Yes, said Mildred, “But this one’s eating my popcorn.”

We use it quite often on scrambled eggs and so on. I raise a lot of different peppers and make sauce from them. I have to cut and clean them outside. Rubber gloves are best. Then I dehydrate them and grind to fine powder. Make sauce with Ghost pepper and others. Use mask to not breathe fumes and dust. Great stuff if you treat it right.

When in high school back in the early 60’s, I built a camera box with a mirror in the bottom shining up. Put the camera in and submerged it in clear water. Wasn’t the best but was fun to look into. Had fun doing that as well as other things that we take for granite today.

My grand dad used to raise them there pheasant birds in FtWorth, Texas back in the 1950’s. I used to go out in the pens and watch them mill around. They were great eating too on a Sunday after church. Miss that time very much. Six uncles and three aunts at the dinner table. What fun. One uncle would go fishing and kept what he caught. My mom would fry them up after he cleaned them all. He would really enjoy himself eating them himself.

You guys are the smartest normal guys that I have ever run across. Best that there is a normal group here that can discuss normal things. Keep up the great fishing stories and we WILL remain normal.

My brother in law waits and then tries to sell them something. They hang up real quick. I don’t have the patience.

At work I tried to teach the girls how to read a ruler. I had to give up on them. All they could do was measure in 64th of an inch. It might be 3/64 or 195/64. Never could get them to read and say the easy way. When I made a measurement and tried to get them to read it from a scotch or plan, they were confused. They could wind those .002 dia. wires better than I could, so I learned not to complain too much. Some were pretty good at fishing though.

Me and some guys went hunting one night in West Texas. Going down the road we hit a skunk and thought nothing about it. Whew, when we stopped, the stink got to us. The dogs were in the trunk of the old 49 Ford and they stuck their heads up through the holes in the back behind the seat. When let out they ran off. Had a hell of a time getting them back in. Another time one of the guys was sitting in the middle of the front seat with his gun between his legs. We hit a bump and the gun went off. We walked home that night.

I noticed when going to Columbia, Mississippi yesterday that the Pearl river has come outta its banks. I saw that a few years ago but it was a lot worse. Never tried to fish the pearl, but did the lake out of Columbia.

Back to the rat business. Once in Texas my two girls were with me walking down a small rocky incline and came upon a mouse that ran under a piece of roofing tin. I reached down and picked it up. Out ran a mouse, so I started stomping at it. Got the thing. My oldest daughter said, dad, I wanna do that. Can I, please. So I picked up another piece of tin and by golly another one jumped out. I told her to behave and watch out, they will run up your britches leg. I had no idea that that was gonna happen, but it did. Funny thing to watch a young girl come outta her britches in such a hurry. Another time here in Mississippi, my wife and a friend were looking at an old hit and miss engine in the woods. The engine had a honey bee’s nest in the bottom. When we got every thing cut and cleared away we started moving it with a chain and my pick up truck. Low and behold, the bees started swarming out from the bottom. We started running and my wife, bless her sole, screamed out. Don’t look, I am gonna get out of these britches. She did too. Right there in the edge of the woods too. She had bee stings all on her legs. We still saved the engine and had a good time.

I had an old Garcia reel from the 40’s or 50’s. Cannot find it so I went and bought a new black max. I really like it. Might just get another one for the 13ft graphite that I have. I use braid on two reels and really like it.

I have had that problem too. One of the best remedies is to buy a book called “Practical Fishing Knots” by Mark Sosin and Lefty Kremlin. Very easy to understand. The pictures are great in their description. I highly recommend this book on fishing knots. Fly, trolling, bait casting, and spinning — in fresh and salt water. Cannot go wrong here in my estimation.

Hey Mr. John D. I appreciated your views but remember that there are a lot of us here that have been down the road you are talking about. Just trying to lighten up the scenery around here. I have been cut down several times to where I have given up on any one that I got into contact with. It is lonely when you cannot fit in with others you have the same interest in. I hope you are able to come in with this bunch of guys, whether they are crabs or perch. They are great guys that are having a great time trying to get by. My first wife left me for her boss man where she worked (12 yrs), second passed away (20 yrs), now the third one I ain’t gonna give up. I gotta stick around to keep on a fishin fer da catfish I go after. My daughter from the first one is coming to see me today from Ft Worth, Texas, bout 8 hours from me. I like to take her fishing and let her read the stories these guys write. I hope I have not offended you. (Sitn) here.

Howdy, just wondering if anyone ever fishes Lake of The Pines in east Texas. I had an uncle that lived at the lake and could walk out his door, across the road and wet his line. Never went there until he passed away. I then saw the lake for the first time and have wondered if it would be worth going back to.