The Corral

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THE ALL-GIRL FARM CREW:
Mid 1970s, dry wintertime. A cowman clears off some brushland to make a field to grow grass/hay for livestock. I was hired to pickup and stack roots, sticks etc.for burning. I dreaded such boring jobs and mentioned it to a gal who visited to ride my horse. She got together with three more gals needing money to go to the big new years dance at some faraway honky tonk. So I let them in on the job. My mistake!!
Found out none had ever worked any place in their lives.
I drove to the pasture east of 'old' Calliham with 4 non-stop joke makers hanging on the old truck. Showed them what to do but one gal would lay on her back looking up at the clouds commenting on what they resembled. I knew this wasn't going to last long 'cause EVERY single farmer or rancher has a pair of 'spy-glasses'to observe from afar his hirlings.
Seems about every 10 or 15 minutes one of the gals had to pee and climb through the fence to the brush for cover. But had to take all the rest of the gals for company.
Seemed no end to their foolishness....but the end was in sight. Sure 'nuff we could see the cowman's old rusty pickup headed our way across the land.
Just as I suspected, he had been observing from afar with them Western Auto Binocs. "Well, Johnny here has been doing his job real good...but you gals are wasting time fooling around....don't need to come back any more," he says real seriously. Now I had some extremely MAD gals making all kinds of uncouth remarks! So I had to haul 'em back to 'old' Calliham and endure the most boring of jobs by myself!
Later when it was New Year's Day, Barbara one of the former All-Girl farm crew and Kim another one stopped by my old place wanting to hike to the river to be doing something. So we went with the dogs to the wintertime bare tree pasture and old Frio river. Barbara dared Kim to jump in the river fully clothed and go for a swim on New Years Day with her. Barbara barely got in and nearly lost her breath to the chill but went on in. Kim being very thin did the same. Silly gals nearly froze! Heard later Barbara almost had to be hospitalized with pneumonia but the thin gal Kim was okay! That was some funny ol' times!
J D
- Friday, February 03, 2012 at 09:50:01 (CST)

At the risk of boring every one to tears, I will add this about the 'family guns'. Grandad Bedwell's H&;R Sportsman 999 double action nine shot ,22 revolver is in the steel safe also. It was given to me in 1957. Also Great grandad Calliham's "ZULU" breech loading shotgun is in a safe place also. This old gun was a British army rifle back in the 1870s until converted to shoot 12 gauge shells. I think they were trade guns for natives thus the Zulu name.
J D
- Wednesday, February 01, 2012 at 09:17:53 (CST)

Cary
About that "little .22", Granny had a single shot bolt action .22 rifle and Glenny liked it so he traded a Remington model 6 (rolling block type)single shot .22 to Granny for the bolt action.
Glenny showed me the bolt action rifle back in the early 60s. He had taken the firing pin out so the kids wouldnt have any accidents.
The old Remington, we all learned to shoot with is in a steel safe.
J D
- Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 10:32:59 (CST)

Well, you were just a little corn nubbin' when your family lived a few yards from the Riverside Cafe, and it was quite a passel o' years ago...
I called Maurice Shenkir up and asked him if he remembered it,(him being a tad older that I)But no he didn't remember the joint. Funny I can see it in my mind just like it was...
J D
- Monday, January 30, 2012 at 17:08:15 (CST)

About the Riverside Cafe:
I asked Mom if she remembered the Riverside Cafe and she said that she did not. This surprised me.
Mom was 19 when you were born, JD, so if you remember going there as a small child, it must have been around in her teens.
She told me that her most vivid memory of those days is going squirrel hunting with Granny. I asked her what kind of gun Granny used. She said it was "A little .22."

Lefty
- Monday, January 30, 2012 at 14:18:43 (CST)

HAY HAULING ...and other delights:
Back then (early 60s)every farm or ranch bailed hay and needed the square bales hauled and stacked in the barn. Ofter the farmer or rancher urged you to get it in SOON AS POSSIBLE...a big rain was surely on the way...and rain ruins hay etc.etc. Often I went back 6 months later finding my pickup tracks and footprints still clearly visible showing nary a drop of rain in all that time!
I was still a teen then. Skinny about 124 lbs. soaking wet. One day a farmer hired me to help him get in the hay. Had his pretty daughter riding with us. I jumped out to grab the first bale...only to find I could barely lift it off the ground! Was really embarassing. Had to be about my same weight!
But I toughned up fast with more haying jobs. Mr. Marchart of Calliham hired me to bring in his hay. I got two younger guys to help. About mid-morning in the severe heat, Mrs. Marchart came walking to us in the field with a foot tub. It had some ice to keep a Lone Star Beer and two soda waters cool. She spoke in a broken english that the beer was for the MAN (meaning me) and sodas for the boys. Really was nice. Anyhow the two boys, Travis Calliham and James Richter who were real beer drinkers really got a kick out of kidding me over that.
Travis insisted on me letting him drive the old '48 Chevy with the load to the barn this time. I told him to DRIVE SLOW and barely move where the big washout in the dirt road ahead was. I rode on top of the hay bales to keep an eye on the load. Off we went. He seems to get faster and faster. I yelled "Better SLOW down!" I could him and james laughing and telling jokes. I saw the big dip in the road and yelled "SLOW DOWN!!!!" We hit the dip full blast...throwing me and half the load off! Boy howdy that old road was HARD on my hip..and bales crashing on top of me! I chewed him out good and would not let him drive any more. But he is really a careful masture man now.
Nothing could beat jumping in the old Frio after a day of hot sweaty, dusty hay hauling! What heavenly thing could beat that! Just read an ad for MINI-BAILERS that turn out square 17 pound bales! MAN O'MAN we could have really used that back in the early 60s!!!
J D
- Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 12:17:22 (CST)

The RIVERSIDE CAFE
Bet there is nary a soul out yonder who remembers that cafe just a tiny bit up river from the bridge and concrete crossin' swimming hole on the Frio river a mile north of (old) Calliham, Texas!
I was a tiny squirt the first time I walked cross that bridge, when I saw rotted big holes in the wooden bridge timbers I was scared! The water 40 ft. below looked DANGEROUS to a little boy.
My dad for a few months worked on some shallow oil well on down the road for a Herbert Neal who lived in the little cabin by the sandy road. Mom decided we would hike over and visit dad. I didn't have glasses then and tripped on the pipe crossing the big heavy cattleguard. I heard a loud "PONG" sound as my forehead hit the steel pipe. I had a swollen forehead for many years after that and lots of pain.
The Riverside Cafe was long gone about 1949 or 50. Can barely remember being there with mom and dad.
The "old swimming hole" at the concrete crossing below the bridge was very popular during the long hot lazy summer days. Once Russell Calliham tried to ride his bike on the hand rail only to topple over the side crashing down into the big rocks below...and it was off the the hospital for him. One of Henry Dusek's sons dove off the bridge...and hit a submerged post having to have several dozen stitches to be put back together again!
As I mentioned in earlier stories I gauged the river for 9 years at that old bridge and saw several huge rising floods! Huge oil tanks from leases bobbing up and down floating down stream, cows with inflated bellies sailing along with the flow!
Uncle Dave Calliham used to tell about his younger day diving off the bridge in the flooding rapid waters and going downstream for the fun of it! Now that takes lots of GUTS in dangerous fast deep waters!
About 1980, my cousin Clyde Semar who used to spend lots os summer here swimming, brought his young family here to show them the "old Swimming Hole" of his youth. But the bridge was long gone. Cut up for scrap iron and every thing bulldozed away...except the concrete crossing was still visible. Fond memories stay around forever...

J D
- Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 17:29:24 (CST)

HOME ALONE ?
Every June it was time for dad's vacation from the oil field job of "pulling wells" and keeping Light Stephenson's small oil company going.
Light would give dad a credit card "Go enjoy yourselves! Buy gas , new tires and stay at nice hotels...have FUN!"
NOT dad..he would buy some gas with the card but that is all. Mom .dad and little Mikey were off early in the morn, headed to New Mexico or maybe Arizona...were dad had been reading about in western magazines. Dad always tried to get there..NO MATTER HOW FAR...the first day.
Mother would have loved to seen green forests and mountains or coastal sea shores.
Me, I stayed at home most times claiming certain cows were about to have calves and needed watching etc.etc. Only place I liked was camping on the Frio river in grandad's pasture...about a quarter mile from home!
Every Christmas some oil man that dad worked wells for would present dad with a big bottle of whiskey. Dad had no use for the stuff, neither did mother. So it was kept to give grandad Calliham a sample now and then or completely forgotten. NOT SO Mr. Sneaky young JD!
Folks were gone...so no one looking...I would take hearty swigs of the powerful stuff...and replace the missing with water to the same level it was.
After several swiga one evening..I over did it. Got plastered! I hid in the dark closet for the longest time.
I decided to walk it off in the pasture. However I got about 5 yards out the front door when there came a pickup with trailer driven by George Crawford (sr) a very fine rancher neighbor. It was too late to run back and hide..he had already seen me. So I did my best to act normal. He had a big calf in the trailer and wondered if it was my dad's. I told him NO wasn't owers, don't know whose it was. He studied me awhile and drove off. To this day I wonder if it was really ours...I just wanted to be left alone!
Dad would drive like a demon trying to get to where ever burned out desert place he was going to get to. Mother loved to visit curio shops. "Look Johnny, there's a curio shop...stop right there!" she's say. Dad would pretend he didnt see it and speed up past it. "Where I dont see any damn junk shops!" It was quite comical my wonderful parents. Little Mikey growing weary and sleeping a great deal. It was nearly the same every year. We all went to the old movie set of GIANT near Marfa, Texas. It was on the Evans ranch. At that time the movie prop huge "Ranch house"was still intact. I was a James Dean fan 1000%. Mom took pictures of dad, little Mikey and myself standing beside the huge realistic prop. Later a gulf storm blew the remains down. But back then it was just like a scene from that movie! Fin

J D
- Monday, January 16, 2012 at 13:09:39 (CST)

OKAY, someone else can write in their 'adventures'or early thoughts on 'old Calliham' times. I've made a fool out of myself to long.
J D
- Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at 23:11:59 (CST)

OH FIDDLE...I meant the first part of tale is below this one!!
J D
- Friday, January 06, 2012 at 16:20:52 (CST)

(second part of story below) We agree to butcher cow on halves. So we go back and get stock trailer to haul dead cow home.
Well let me tell you mister, a dead cow (a big fat one) is a pain in the butt to load in a trailer! WE about gave up when Steve Stephenson drives up and helps up load the heavy rascal. That young man was STRONG!!
Got it home, hung from big mesquite tree...us and half a dozen men and women extra cut on the thing ALL night! Had to beat the dang hounds off the dead cow. Got it done. Meat wrapped. Had skin, guts to haul off. Dumped em off by fenceline on Hwy 99. That night coyotes strung em off by highway. Juan saw them etc.etc.
Next morning Sheriff Looney and ranger Potts come swooping down on the house thinking they had a 'Cattle-Butchering' outlaw gang here. Wind was blowing I walked toward Ranger Potts to hear what he was saying and he grabs at his pistol about to shoot me. We hadn't dumped the remains ON the hwy. but in a gully. Coyotes strung em near the hwy. So David suggests we go pick up the remains and properly dispose of em instead of going to jail.Lawmen agree to that. Meanwhile everybody heard about this on police scanner radio and thought we were cattle rustlers etc, etc. That's the gist of this thing.
J D
- Friday, January 06, 2012 at 08:15:42 (CST)

On the story below I hit a wrong key or something and didnt finish the writeup. Sorry about that but will finish later....
J D
- Friday, January 06, 2012 at 07:53:31 (CST)

Country Living?: Was the '70s. Juan, a ranch hand makes his rounds driving down a dirt road on the Lark ranch north of the 'old'Calliham townsite.
And behold a strange sight...men stringing out a roll of barbwire where there is no fenceline. The men are dressed in old west cowboy garb. Juan is thinking "what in the Hell...nobody is susposed to be working here!" Then a jeep comes rolling up with GIRLS IN TINY BIKINIS! There is a film crew taking all this on film..!
The strange bunch loads up and drives off. Leaving the barbwire strung out. Who knows who they were and where they come from.
Several months later Juan drive off to work but before he gets to the Frio River bridge (concrete one on the old Hwy 99) he sees s fresh cow skin and entrails. He calls his boss Melvin Naylor (former sheriff). Who in turn calls Buster Looney and Texas Ranger Murray Potts to investigate the remains.
Hers's what brought that about: The day before that I went with my uncle Dave Calliham and son David toward Three Rivers for supplies. Midway there we see a little pickup smashed in from hitting a loose cow on the highway. As we look over dead cow the rancher owner drives up. We discuss how fresh the thing is. Uncle Dave suggests we butcher it on halves
J D
- Friday, January 06, 2012 at 07:50:07 (CST)

Driftin' in back in the 60s...again:
Driving old beat up pickups, buying second hand tires for $5 each and brake fluid and motor oil by the barrel!
Helped round up cattle and spray for flies, gnats and mosquitos on several different ranches. Breathed too much spray I guess, lost my ability to speak for several days. Mad some mad at me thought I was acting smarty not saying any thing.
A black mare ran away with me and dodged under low hanging mesquite limbs. I landed on big sandstone rocks and was really hurting. Had to walk doubled up leading mare back to the barn.
A quarter hoss ran away when I shot my revolver at a big chlorine bottle. Broke a rib that time.
Sometime later when loading cattle in stock trailer I almost got patition gate locked when big cow kicked the gate hard sending a steel rod back hitting me below nose and above top lip. Made a bloody mess knocking me out for few seconds. Was an awful ugly bloody sight for weeks.

Dad and his oil company boss went together raising cattle. They rented the Light Stephenson pasture a few miles north of Three Rivers, Tx..
It was hard to get to with old washed out dirt roads. We had to work for months rebuilding fences and a corral to be able to haul the cattle there without them getting out. Worst was hauling a big heavy load of water in the pick up on those roads that nearly turned you over when water shifted around.
Nowdays I think that nice quiet range has a huge highway with thousands of trucks and cars roaring back and forth like fire ants from a disturbed den and no sign of any "cow business" ever happened there... (more later)
J D
- Monday, January 02, 2012 at 11:54:10 (CST)

A few more notes. As really handy as they are, BUNGI CORDS can be realllly dangerous! There are several hundred reports of people careless with them having one hooked end come back and putting out eyes, tearing open faces etc.etc. They dont seem to last long being exposed to hot suuny weather. So be careful outyonder!
A rather odd funny thing happened at my little cabin this week. I had stuck my big felt cowboy hat up on top of the lamp shade. Of course my visiting kinfolks never noticed it I guess, and had the light turned on for quite awhile before I saw it there 'steaming hot' and took it off the lampshade. You guessed it....tried to wear it this morning and ....well it looked the same BUT it would probzably fit DiAnna Larson's (REAL COWGIRL) little 6 yr. old son!! I have a hat stretcher but that didn't work at all. It sets on my head like a little tea cup!
J D
- Thursday, December 29, 2011 at 13:20:35 (CST)

Hope all have had a nice CHRISTmas ! I went to the Calliham Church Christmas party. Was a very good turnout of folks! The joint was packed!
The followering sunday I went with some friends to the Brush Country Cowboy church near Oakville (Tx). Very good attendance their and good ole time preaching by a huge big hatted cowboy pastor!
This week my neice Roxanne and family along with Carol (my late brother's wife)showed up from deep east Texas and we had a campfire cookout with pintos, hot dogs/chili and roasted marshmellows. Did some WAL+Marting in Pleasanton.
The firewood was damp from three days of drizzle but we got it blazing after awhile. We were teaching Savannah ( six yrs. old)target shootin' with Daisy BB rifles.
She had a difficult time...the stocks are too long on regular BB guns for kids that small...but she hit the target a few times anyway. Lots of photo takin'..
J D
- Thursday, December 29, 2011 at 09:36:28 (CST)

I talked to ol' Jake McCoy, he's been around quite a while. I asked him how has the music changed since the mid 50s compared to today. I quote him:" Well, back then we had good ol' DU WOP music and Perry Como....but now it's goofy HIP HOP and a HAIRY HOMO!" Sorry I asked.
J D
- Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 11:44:17 (CST)

Sorry for the spelling errors and typo errors. I lived 1/2 mile from the bridge not 12 miles. When I type out CHRISTmas like this, it is to emphasis our Lord's name and true meaning of the season. "Dem olden days" is a phrase from early day black farm workers.
J D
- Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 07:05:22 (CST)

MERRY CHRISTmas everyone out there!!
Remembering dem olden days: 1960s on..
I started working local farms and ranches back in the 60s. Hauling hay, chopping fence post, pulling corn etc.etc. Did lots of horsebacking. Which I loved. Wasn't a top notch hand being nearsighted but I was GOOD at horsemanship I will say!
I was given a river gauging job when a old timer had to quit. I just took a few minutes a dat ..BUT every day had to be at the old iron and board Frio river bridge about a 12 mile from my old home. Had to keep a daily diary of river temps., flow velocity, heights etc,etc,
One morning early on the job I discovered a wood panel board leaning up on a dirt pile wirh outline of a woman drawn on it with dozens of knife stab marks all over it. And a burned down campfire with dozens of girl's panties piled up nearby with some partially burned.
I realized there were W E I R D O S lurking about! My cousin Jay Harris from El Campo, a young squirt at the time came to visit me. Decided to hike up toward the old bridge looking for me. Nearly there a big burly madman jumped out of the gully he was hiding in with rifle aimed at my Jay, accusing him of robbing his fishing lines of his catch. Jay was really scared but kept his cool explaining he was only looking for his cousin.
It got to where I never gauged the river without having a revolver with me.I wore a six-shooter nearly all the time and never was fussed at by the laws. Times I was MIGHTY GLAD I had one HANDY !! End of this segment.
J D
- Saturday, December 24, 2011 at 13:23:01 (CST)

Pony Days & old ways :(part 4, the rest is below)
One day dad stopped by a friend's house near the old Calliham cemetery. As they talked in the yard. A huge Cadillac running full blast slammed into the steel pipe cattle guard a few yards from the house. Ripping off the steel pipe 'wing' of the guard. Flipping the big car. Terrible loud crash! It was Light Stephanson Sr., Light's lawyer Dewitt Harry and John Rutherford riders in the fast car. John had to be pulled out through the busted out rear window. Total loss for that Cadillac.They had just took my grandad who was blind home from somewhere.
Later Light ran full blast into the flooded creek north of Campbellton. Rushing waters swept him out the passenger side as the car sunk leaving only the rear fins showing.Light ended up hung in a fence by road workers!
We had a huge hailstorm. Ground covered with ice. I saw Queenie with her tender hooves from being foundered hurting her so bad that she tried to lift up her hooves high off the ice. It looks like a dance of sorts.
1970 storm blew away grandad's ancient gray barn that had been a blacksmith shop in Tilden in the old west era. Sad to see that landmark gone. It was an omen of things to come. In just six years the dam builders had us move out. I remember poor Queenie standing by our old home place that was gone and fences gone. She was all alone and terribly crippled. I had to lead her off and shoot her. Tore me apart to lose an old pal of over 20 years in such a way. Will stop here.
J D
- Wednesday, December 21, 2011 at 20:01:56 (CST)

I know what you're thinking..."That ole hick is makin' all this mess up !!"
NOSIREEE..I 'm just getting 'cranked up'! Stay tuned...
J D
- Wednesday, December 21, 2011 at 09:24:20 (CST)

'PONY BOY' (3rd part. The first 2 parts are below)
When little bro Mikey discovered Queenie, our Shetland mare would eat a steak sandwich, he wrote a letter to the WESTERN HORSEMAN magazine. They published it in their 'Letters from Young Riders'.
Dad let a friend put his little white mean Shetland in the old creek pasture where I looked after cattle every few days on my old hoss I bought.
Sometimes as I looked over the little herd, the crazy pony would sneak up and bite my hoss in the butt. This caused some "RODEO" action and me nearly getting busted on the rocky ground.
One day I saw crazy pony way off down the trail. I galloped fast to detour out of its sight to get to the cows. I hit a low hanging old telephone line. Catching the wire by my neck, slamming my head back against the cantle of the saddle. Thought the hoss would never stop! Had big scar like I was hung for a long time!
I would have to rope a holstein cow with huge bag full of milk. Tie her to a tree and insert milking neddles to drain out milk. She would kick neddles out of my hand..but I had more. Got to boil them out everyday to avoid any infection. Rub her milk on raw teats that were scratched by thorny brush to heal them.
One of the youngster ponies got rattlesnake bit. Head swelled up making her look more like an alligator than pony!
Along about this time a man got dispondent cause his wife left him and blew his head beside the little beer joint down the road to Three Rivers.
Little brother Mikey found an old black derby hat, put feather in it. Rode Queenie all over Calliham. She run away with him and ripped down a clothesline full of an old maid's underwear as the angry old gal cussed and swung a garden hoe at them.
Queenie ran full speed into the Texaco station knocking down a stovepipe covering about 6 old men with smoke and ashes. Stanley threw a fit but Mikey galloped off to safety! END OF THIS PART.
J D
- Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 17:48:35 (CST)

" Shetland Pony Adventures"
Dad went through a series of buying and selling the quirky little critters. Dad sold a couple who lived across the river, a mare. It was heavy with foal. A huge flood happened on the Frio and the foal was born and lost in the rising waters.
Lots of cattle, horses and other animules were lost that time. Cattle would suck air in their bellies and float for miles till finding a place to crawl out of the rising waters. Some would be seen marching back toward 'home'hunting their old home range.
When the waters receded I had hard labor throwing tons of debri off the river fences. I also dug out a pontoon boat that came from someplace. It was full of mud the drain plugs lost. It would float enough so I poled it up stream to grandad's pasture. My kinfolks, Ted Gazaway and sons drove a jeep close as they could get and we hooked cables on it and pulled it on the bank to dry out.
After it dried out someone stole it. Which reminds me that time prowlers would come in by the river shoot calves or deer. Load up their boat and be gone with meat to sell. It was a lawless time. My brother was very young and one day took dad's old double-barrel 12 guage in hand and quietly wandered the river bottom. He would be completely still at times to listen to animule sounds, observe wildlife. Sounds of a rowboat and men were heard. Soon three men with rifles were seen and one got out with rifle in hand and pulling the boat to shore. Mike carefully opened up with both barrels of that old 12 gauge. Birdshot and LOUD blast covered the men with riverwater. The wouldbe game poacher hopped back aboard and they busted a gut paddling back to where they came from!
I remember dad milking out one of our cows back in the little barn we had. The first batch of milk from a cow after giving birth is called 'Beasley Milk". It is extremely rich for the calf to start healthy. "Queenie" the big shetland mare would cram her head up to her eyes in the bucket and drink every drop of that super rich milk!
Mikey even gave her a steak sandwich...and she cobbled it up wanting more! END OF THIS PART

J D
- Monday, December 19, 2011 at 00:18:57 (CST)

We can't do it all by ourselves. We need good folks like you guys to help us.

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil in the world is for good men to do nothing.
Lefty
- Monday, December 19, 2011 at 00:17:23 (CST)

No sir, it NEVER helps to vote for Godless Communists whose agenda is to destroy America. That's what Obama is all about.
J D
- Sunday, December 18, 2011 at 23:36:22 (CST)

The real reason I write these things is not to persuade the good people of Texas to set things right by voting Democrat, (although I personally believe it would help some), Lefty.

It did not happen the last three years.
Dayton
- Sunday, December 18, 2011 at 17:44:41 (CST)

I am anxious to find out what happened to the Shetland ponies. Funny, I don't remember you having Shetland ponies.
That's life.
Lefty
- Sunday, December 18, 2011 at 12:56:59 (CST)

"Old Calliham School Daze"
We often cut limbs from 'soap bushes'to decorate for Christmas. They are an evergreen plant that grew in most cow pastures back then. I have few today.
I 've told this before I am sure about the teacher giving all us little devils a small sack containing pecans, an apple and orange as Christmas treat. One very poor little Mexican boy from a farm worker family had never had pecans and told me "I nearly brokey ALL my teeth trying to eat them hard tings!"
Several years later when I had passed 5th grade and had to go to a much bigger school in a bigger town. I would hide in an old abandoned falling down house till the bus went by and Dad had went to work, then plunder the river bottoms and pastures. Was cold winter, leaves of summer gone from trees and river too cold for swimming. Very dull lonely life.
A write-up in "Reader's Disgust" magazine told of BIG MONEY in raising Shetland ponies. Dad and I went to a Reagan Roberts near Beeville and dad bought a couple shetland mares that were bred. Seems hundreds of others had the same idea from that masgazine story.
The first foal was born in the field near our home and we were thrilled to death at the cute little rascal running full tilt in just a few days old! Both had their foals soon and we were in the Hoss Business.
The bigger of the two mares, Queenie, was strong enough to pack me around the pasture in my big straw Mexican sombrero, saddle and wearing an old .22 revolver on one side and Crosman Western style pellet pistol on the other!
But soon Queenie got to eating tons of mesquite beans, getting colic. Had to have vet run 2 gallons of mineral oil down a hose in her nose to dislodge huge piles of the stinky ferminted things!
The market was glutted with ponies and you would be lucky to geve em away. When a few months before they were $300-$400 each! Big money in '62.
(END OF THIS SEGMENT)
J D
- Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 17:31:02 (CST)

Hi Sportsfans! Sorry I didn't come up with a new cartoon this week. Due to the cold and damp weather I come down with the fever, runny nose etc.etc. and was layed up several days.Still ailing.
I want to thank 'Lefty' for sticking with me on this site since the late 1990s. We are sometimes at odds on political BS. But I love him like a brother.
I remember us camping in a home made tent on the Frio River in grandad's pasture way back in 1952.
That old moon would come up and shine its silvery glow on that little river. The buffalo fish would suck mud in the drifts and now and then a 'coon would make that trill sound. Coyotes howl far away and a cow would bawl for her calf. A deer would amble through the brush.
Even then we two had some funny ideas, as I watched him carve his C. S. '52 on a big ash tree, I replied "Why not C. S. '22, to sound like a LONG TIME ago!"
Well that tree is long gone and the pasture under Choke Canyon lake and '52 is a LONG TIME AGO. We just keep marching on 'till the Lord calls us to our Heavenly home and we start NEW all over again...and there won't be any sickness, no getting old and best of all NO DAMN POLITICS!!!
J D
- Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 20:08:58 (CST)

My term "mount" at the bottom of the blog simply means the captured mustang would be another hoss in Mr. Rocky's remuda.
J D
- Thursday, December 08, 2011 at 10:41:58 (CST)

The old song goes,'I've got miles and miles of Texas...' the RAY ranch in Live Oak county Texas had miles and miles of some of the most primitive cactus and mesquite rangeland on this old Earth.
Rocky Reagan had a grazing lease on the vast brushy domain and Otto, his kin was to watch over it and the big herd of wild as deer cattle. Otto and one old Mexican cook batched together at the 'old Goat Camp' many miles deep in the thorny jungle of a landscape.
I remember it well that day I rode with dad as he picked up Otto to be our guide on a treasure hunt at the famous San Caja mountain.
But it wasn't meant to be...huge black storm clouds were heading fast our way. You HAD TO GET OUT muy pronto or be stuck in the mud for days and days in that primitive place of dirt roads not much more than cow trails.
Otto related a tale of his younger day. The thundering herds of shaggy bison were gone....but there were still bands of wild mustangs trying to survive this harsh land.
Otto noticed various trails winding through a huge cactus flat that led to a waterhole. One trail was well used by the wild horses. Otto rigged up a grass rope snare hoping to catch one.
He didn't return for several days to check on the snare...but sure 'nuff a wild one was caught by his leg . The scared wild cayuse flopped around for hours or days until giving up. The cactus was beat to a juicey pulp, the hoss covered in muddy cactus juice and millions of thorns were stuck in every inch of its body.
Otto could rightly claim he had caught one of the last symbols of the OLD WEST and Early TEXAS AND it was another mount for Mr. Rocky.
J D
- Wednesday, December 07, 2011 at 16:22:39 (CST)

Hi Fern !
Ain't them dancin' girls the cutest little rascals!
Lefty tried to 'move' just like them...we had to call the paramedics !!!
J D
- Tuesday, December 06, 2011 at 07:50:10 (CST)

HEY! what's with the dancing girls???? Get bored with the running horses??? I liked them!
Mary Fern Calliham Pitman
- Monday, December 05, 2011 at 20:54:22 (CST)

Hi Dayton. WE GOT SOME RAIN LAST NIGHT!!!
No sir, my grammer and spelling is terrible. I would not attempt scratching out a book. I wished Otto Reagan would have written a big book on his early days. Rocky had three books. They were pretty good...but Otto would've had prenty 'spice' in his! Thanks Dayton for the message.
J D
- Monday, December 05, 2011 at 05:44:50 (CST)

J.D. YOUR STORIES ARE SO COOL. HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF, OR
HAVE YOU WRITTEN A BOOK INCLUDING THEM? THESE STORIES BRINGS
ME BACK TO MY OLD DAYS.
DAYTON
- Sunday, December 04, 2011 at 20:23:16 (CST)

Gosh, there is lots of history 'round these parts! I remember riding my hoss up to Calliham and tying him on one of the cedar trees by the post office and visiting Otto Reagan as he sit on the porch. His home was part of the old post office.
Otto was part of the famous Rocky Reagan old time Live Oak county "cowpeople". At this time Otto was in his 80s..but sharp as a tack
He relates this little GEM of a story. Tilden's jail was still run those days. Can't remember for sure his name so will call him "Shifty". The old boy got caught stealing saddles among other charges and was locked away in the old 'Dog Town" (Tilden) jail awaiting trial.
He requested a pen and writing paper to inform relatives of his fate. He was given a bottle of ink, a pen and paper and proceeded his writing. A few days later "Shifty" grabbed a deputy bringing food, brandising a small automatic pistol threathing to kill made his escape.
Everyone was shocked wondering where the gun come from. Well, "Shifty" was on the 'hide out' again....but not for long. Another Sheriff tracked him down.
It was discovered "Shifty" has used a spoon or something to carve the bar of soap into the shape of a Colt .25 automatic, (a very small pistol) and painted it black with the bottle of ink. Scared the tar out of the deputy and made his ill-fated escape into a legend of old Tilden, Texas.
J D
- Saturday, December 03, 2011 at 00:18:06 (CST)

I often compare 'country living' of my youth with 'country living so-called of today'. Where did all the FROGS hop off to? Used to be every earthen water tank, slough and mud hole had frogs croaking around the rim and would hop in the water as you walked along close. It was PLLLUNK...PLLLUNK....PLLLLUNK all around.
There were certain times MILLIONS of tiny baby frogs covered the roadways, yards, porches and got inside your home if you were not careful.
Now most of the tanks,sloughs and such have been dry for the longest time. Now and then I see a lone frog. Usually one will hop in the horse trough...only to drown there cause he can't hop out to breathe air and rest.
Horned toads are about as rare as dinosaurs! I think the ANTS FROM HELL (Fireants)finished them off. Horned toads lived on red ants. Fire ants killed most red ants.
Armadillos are very near sighted and the automobile makes mush out of them before they ever know whats coming!
We call them 'Illegal Aliens', Wetbacks and so on. The men and women who drift here these days from Mexico and many other countries are not all the caliber of the ones I worked along side of on ranches. Those in my day were despertly seeking employment so they could send 'dinero'back to support their wives and childrens in very poor circumstances in Mexico. Some came so far by foot from the interior that they had never seen screen wire on doors and windows. I remember one fella trying to figure out an 8 track music tape by pulling and pulling the tape out. I noticed one young man afraid to death of a big modern tractor he was to plow with and at end of each row made the Catholic sign of the cross. They didn't believe in bathing in the winter..germs would get in your skin and make you sick (if there wasn't a crust of sweat and dirt covering ).
Now illegals, a large part are DANGEROUS. Their family is often held hostage with threats to kill if the illegal dosent deliever his package of dope and bring the money back. Yep, times change...not always to the good either...
J D
- Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 16:58:02 (CST)

It was a warm sunny day just like today. We had some oats growing in the field then back 48 years ago. I had no political intrests in either party, I just thought John Kennedy was a great president, a hero. Someone to be proud of. Sort of movie star quality personality. I watched with glee as Kennedy 'beat the stuffins' out of Richard Nixon in their televised debate in living black and white.
At least it seems that way..not knowing what the blue blazes they were talking about most of the time!
Even my grandmother "Granny Calliham" said " That Nixon looks SNEAKY like he's some kinda CROOK!"
Well, believe it or not as Ripley would say, the day before the assination of Kennedy, my parents, little Mikey and I were comming back from San Antonio with a load of lumber we had took off by tearing down an old house. We had to stop at an intersection to let the Presidental Motorcade go by. And thousands of school kids were cheering and happy and excited about seeing John & Jackie
visit their city.
I always thought about what the youngsters must have felt that very next day when we lost our bright shinning hero as we thought of him. America has never been the same since. We all sense it every day.
Just the same, with all her faults, Miss America is by far the greatest nation that ever has been on this God's green earth...and we can be mighty thankful to be here. Let's do our part to heal her!

J D
- Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at 16:12:59 (CST)

Hi Donna,
A few things about the Texaco Station that Stanley Sparks run so many years.
I drove by early one morning, looked like a BOMB had exploded inside! Many years ago someone had stuck a heavy car seat up in the sheetrock ceiling over the cash register and display shelves. During the night the whole mess came crashing down and 40 or 50 years of rat turds, cobwebs, dust and rat nests along with the heavy car seat fell through the sheetrock. Was a whooper of a big hole over the counter...chunks of sheetrock everywhere! Lucky Stanley was home that night.
One hot old summer morning 'Slick' Cunningham was reading the newspaper as he sat on the bench by the little open window. Stanley has warned him not to block the air comming through. Stanley threw a 5 gallon can on water all over slick. Nearly drowned the old man! Ruined the paper.
"Slick" looked sad and said "You got my cigarette wet...". For about a week 'Slick' sat on the bench at Harber's store across the street and had his feelings hurt I guess. Funny guys!!
I had Gary Loyd helping me haul hay for Red Rucker. Very hot and hundreds of heavy bales to bring in. Gary broke out in asthma. Couldn't load the hay so I had him drive. Nearly worked myself to death. Truck broke down. Gary was prepared...had the correct little wrenches in his pocket! Got 'er going again. Gary was SMART that way...
J D
- Monday, November 14, 2011 at 10:55:13 (CST)

Loved the story about you and Gary Lloyd Sparks!!! He is my 3rd cousin!!! He, Debbie Dolan( Sis Sparks daughter and my first cousin) had some fun times together growing up!!! My sister, Jamie and I used to run around with CD Rutherford and Rance Wilson when we were in our teens!!! CD ran after a roadrunner and actually caught it!!! Used to get honey from Rance's Daddy!!

Donna Hamilton(Sparks)
- Sunday, November 13, 2011 at 19:34:26 (CST)

Had a surprise in the mail! My cousin Jim Bates(Whom I call a 'Yankee Texan'in jest)He lives WAY UP NORTH in the Ft. Worth--Dallas area. He sent me the NEW 'True Grit' on DVD. Jeff Bridges has John Wayne's charactor and Hailee Stenfeld has Kim Darby's charactor.
AND I might add, I INSTANTLY become SMITTEN with Hailee Stenfeld! What a cute precious little gal! Got movie just yesterday, think I saw it THREE times already.
I doubt if there is another soul that could play that role any better than that sweet bright child!
J D
- Tuesday, November 08, 2011 at 18:34:05 (CST)

WONDERFUL to hear from you, Donna! No telling how many water cooled Dr.Peppers i bought at Stanley's Texaco station in 'old' Calliham!
Gary Loyd Sparks and I run around together some. One night Gary, my brother Mike & I were drinking a few beers on by the old bridge. Gary saw the sheriff comming up behind us and ....floorboarder the big ol' Caddy like a wild man! Down the pasture road fast as lightning...nearly missed the turn in the sandy road....went sideways barely escaped hitting some huge wooden cattle feeding troughs!!
Sheriff Naylor never seen anything quite that fast I bet!
A lot of us rode horses and built a hitching rack on west side of the Texaco station. Just like in GUNSMOKE!
Thanks a million for writing !
J D
- Sunday, November 06, 2011 at 18:08:48 (CST)

My Mother was Ola Lee Sparks, Grandparents were Vivian & Stanley Sparks. He owned the service station in old Calliham. My sister and zo had fun times in that little town as teenagers. Going down to the river and listening to the clickety clack of cars and trucks ad they drove over the old bridge, watching the guys kill rattle snakes, visiting Ms Harber at the store, were a few of the wonderful memories!!!
Donna Hamilton (Sparks family)
- Sunday, November 06, 2011 at 16:16:47 (CST)

Ever hear of 'Six-Man Football"? The small town of Tilden is debating on having a six man team. Got a brochure today with an old photo of the Tilden team back in 1940.
Most of the guys in the photo have long passed away since 1940. Believe it or not, I was part of a six man football team! Me and another thick glasses wearing teen were 'WATERBOYS" back in 1959.
There were some of the OLD leather helmets and gear from the 40s still in the tiny team 'locker room'. A little shack back then.
Those helmets looked more like Charles Lindberg avaitor caps! We went sometimes 150 miles round trip to other little high schools to get BEAT! The biggest boys in our team were smokers and drinkers since the age of 12 I guess so there was lots of huffing and puffing after a few plays! Had to watch out for armadillo holes, rocks and snakes in some of those faraway playing fields! ahhh, them good ol' daze!
J D
- Saturday, November 05, 2011 at 13:29:05 (CDT)

I SPENT ONE HOUR AND A HALF TYPING OUT MY NEWEST BLOG....AND ON THE NEXT TO LAST WORD THE SITE WAS DISCONNECTED...I LOST EVERY WORD! I was UNHOLY MAD as OBAMA being forced to sit through an entire BAPTIST CHURCH REVIVAL!!!!!!!!!
J D
- Friday, November 04, 2011 at 19:11:35 (CDT)

Sort of difficult to put this in words but here goes....I get letters from organizations such as Indian Schools, Orphan homes, Disabled vets, police officers killed in action family funds, March of Dimes, starving in Africa and dozens of others.
The problem is when you send a donation to one, they seems to notify 4 or 5 similar named groups like they are. And when the first one starts sending address labels, notepads and cards expecting donations...they ALL flood your mail box EVERY DAY with that stuff. I dont write 4 letters a year and send only a few cards at Christmas. I get hundreds of address labels/cards/ envelopes etc. etc.!
What pissed me off now is most Christmas cards now have NO mention of the word CHRISTMAS or the birth of our Lord Jesus at all! It's HAppy Holidays and snowmen, gingerbread men, reindeer, fat Santa Claus, or maybe western type with old cowboy boot filled with striped candy canes etc.etc. big gaudy colorful snow scenes. This is all a little kid's idea of Christmas. One that is immature and only thinks in terms of getting toys and sweets to eat.
I throw these cards in the trash and send nothing as donations. If they are ASHAMED to mention what Christmas REALLY means then I feel so sorry for their empty lives and pray for their awakening....
J D
- Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 18:21:21 (CDT)

Many thanks for the kind words, Hugh. I've made some great gun swaps/deals with you through the years. There is another interesting web site that buys, sells and trades air guns and such. Stuart & Keren Shippee call their site: airgunnery.com Check it out Hugh. You'd like it . Real nice honest couple.
J D
- Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 09:11:08 (CDT)

Wal, to get things started - not knowing exactly whut yer after here, I want to tell you a bit about JD and me! We've been "together", of sorts for quite a few years now - although we have never met "eyeball to eyeball"! - which I hope to remedy one of these days. (I reckon I'd better get to it before too long, as I just turned 81 years jes yesterday). Anyhow, we have a lot in common - that being guns (course I specialize in air guns - and he has some of those, too) we're both old "Cowboys" - JD in Texas, me from Ohio (now Oregon) - and we are both serious Christians. Yep, I like the ole boy, JD, liking whut he stands for and his consistancy. Hope you enjoy his web site as much as I do. Yahoooooo! Cowboy.
Cowboy 1894
- Monday, October 24, 2011 at 10:34:59 (CDT)

A lady friend of mine, who was raised up not far from here. (Christine,Texas to be exact). Has some acrage near the Greenhorn Mts. in Colorado. She had bought a small camp trailer and put on the land. In case she planned to uae it for a hunting camp or place to camp while gathering firewood for the long cold winters Colorado is famous for.
To their dismay and amazement...a BEAR has ripped off the bottom half of the door. Got in, found the canned goods high in the cubbard. There were BIG teeth holes in every can except one that rolled under the furniture and wasn't seen. Mr. BEAR sucked out every morsel of the canned food. Put big teeth marks in the container that the bed clothes, quilts, blankets were stored away in. Finding they were not a bit tasty so didn't hurt them. The little camper is a wreck!
Good thing for Mr. BEAR she wasn't home cause my lady friend is a real PISTOL PACKIN" MAMA from south Texas!!

J D
- Sunday, October 23, 2011 at 20:47:11 (CDT)

TREVIA and HUGH !!! Please send emails to my new address: cowfruit@hotmail.com I see they keep comming to the old address...but cannot be opened there.
J D
- Sunday, October 23, 2011 at 07:26:32 (CDT)

South Texas had an earthquake this morning. I slept through it but noticed my little air compressor in my shop was shook off the box it was on. Neighbor said he felt it shaking the bed and thought his kid was playing a prank on him. Reports came in from Karnes City to Atascosa county of tremmers.
J D
- Thursday, October 20, 2011 at 18:20:14 (CDT)

(joke) LEARNIN'THE HARD WAY
Back in the late 50s, summer vacation from school was wonderful!
My pal "Spud" about my age and was terribly skinny just like his dad and older sister. We tramped up and down the Frio setting fishing lines, cooked grub on a campfire using my old Army mess kit. He mentioned one day his sister was awful depressed, thinking no one would ever ask her to the upcomming American Legion Teen Dance. (us ol' boys at school called her "Bony Maroni" 'cause she was really SKINNY! BUT not within earshot of her or "Spud")
The next week end I hiked the half mile to "spud's" house to try and borrow some .22 rat shot. I saw his skinny depressed sister out in the hog pen wearing big rubber boots about 9 sizes too big for her skinny legs and feet,I got the bright idea of maybe cheering her up. So on the spot I made up a yarn "Hi! I hear you're really famous these days!" I says. She looks kinda puzzled" How come I am famous..IS IT 'CAUSE I AM SO DANG SKINNY?" Well, I wasnt ready for that so I spoke up fast" The number one roll 'n roll song ia about YOU!" She asks "What durn song is 'bout me?" I says (without thinking) It's that Roy Orbison hit 'ONLY THE BONY'!!" I thought OH NO I'M DEAD! A slip of the TONGUE!
She threw the entire big can of hog slop all over my head and shirt! Thought I would NEVER make it home to clean up and get that stink off myself!
J D
- Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 14:41:40 (CDT)

Thought I'd mention, the perfect HALLOWEEN movie for those who plan on getting SCARED OUTA THEIR GIZZARDS that night is BEOWULF starring Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins and...don't want to spoil the surprise!
Chunk your cell phones, iPads or what ever them modern squawkers are called so there wont be distractions. Is TOOO intense for small childrens, I guarandamntee!
Think I slept with a 45 in one hand and a 38 in the other and a Bowie knife in my underware for a week after the first showing!
I bought my copy at WALMART'S $5 bin. WOWWWW!
J D
- Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 15:55:24 (CDT)

HALLOWEEN right 'round the corner! Back in "Dem ole timey days..." of my youth, it was a BIG DEAL! Very simple to rig up a costume...buy a "lone Ranger'type mask at King's Five & Dime store in Three Creeks. Already had the Mexican made straw hat, cap gun/holster set.
Halloween parties were great at the old Calliham School gym! Fun and games and hayrides around town trick or treatin'.
There was a talent show put on for the American Cancer Society several times at the gym or sometimes in the auditorium of the old school house. Mike, my little brother was just three years old when he got up on the stage in front of several hundred people one night and imitated Elvis Presley by singing 'Hound Dog' using a plastic toy guitar. The people let out roars of laughter which scared Mikey at first. But he grinned with "That's all folks!'
Think I'd give a million dollars (if I had) to see a film of that again!!
Later on there were the water baloon fights and turning over outdoor privies. Great old fun times...
J D
- Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 17:49:20 (CDT)

Thanks Dayton. I have a friend who recently bought a ranch in the Texas Hill country. Make me wonder just how on the earth land that steep and hilly is surveyed? A big Part of it along the road goes straight UP! If it was smashed flat as a pancake, it would run into the next county!
I also got a brief note from one of our REAL COWGIRLS, Janene Russell. Bet she has a son graduated from school since they lived here in Texas!
Got some not so good news today, a big trailer park is going to spring up across the fence from the front of my house. The big one between here and Three Creeks has the sheriff's dept. running out there stopping fights about twice a week. Oil field people.
J D
- Monday, October 10, 2011 at 13:01:45 (CDT)

JD. Don't think we do not appreciate your weekly cartoons. In fact I start looking forward to getting them on
Friday. I even send them to my son in Kentucky. He is from
South Texas, but I guess he is a red neck hillbilly by now.
Do a cartoon for him, HIS NAME IS BRIAN...DAYTON
Because
- Sunday, October 09, 2011 at 21:07:58 (CDT)

Thanks Fay. Rainwise we hit the jackpot last night! Got a slow TWO inches...and today during church another 3/10! Was a happy time at church!
Talking about kinfolks being discovered. My dad used to like to tell about the trip he took with his kinfolks all crammed in an old touring car to Alabama back in the late 1930s. They finally found a rural wooded "Hillbilly"
area where lots of Bedwells etched out a living. "...and them woods were full of old goofy boys that looked just like you..." Dad would say meaning me. That certainly boosted my confidence LOL .
I think I favor the Calliham side of the family more than Bedwells. But you are what you make of yourself. Amen Bro Ben, shot a goose and kilt a hen...
J D
- Sunday, October 09, 2011 at 19:29:33 (CDT)

We're enjoying some much-needed rain here in N. Texas. JD, I think a lot of people read your cartoons and updates but don't write to you about it. It would be a shame to quit.I have a Facebook account, and have come in contact with at least a dozen Callihams. Most are first cousins once removed (first cousins' kids), but some are closer kin. I didn't realize there were so many of us. lol
Virginia Fay Clark
- Sunday, October 09, 2011 at 15:34:18 (CDT)

Due to almost no response to any of my blogs or cartoons, I feel its just about time to quit trying. Cary has been wonderful giving me this chance to try my questionable drawing skills.
J D
- Friday, October 07, 2011 at 20:43:19 (CDT)
Why don't you Send JD an Email ?

THREE CHEERS GOES OUT TO HANK WILLIAMS JR. FOR SAYING WHAT MOST OF US REAL AMERICANS THINK!!!!
J D
- Tuesday, October 04, 2011 at 17:32:53 (CDT)

Below I meant "2 1/2 MILES" of river frontage.
J D
- Wednesday, September 28, 2011 at 15:39:37 (CDT)

Saw a newspaper headline: MANAGING YOUR INCOME, this made me laugh at an incident back in the '70s so I title this MANAGING YORE MONEY---the cowboy way !

I had moved into an old house on a nice sized ranch bordering the Frio River river with 2 1/2 river frontage. Thick brush all along the river and barren hills, gullies and dry creek the other half. I was riding a newly broke bay hoss and loving to ramble the place. I galloped the hoss quite a bit to keep him in good tough condition. One day I let him run across a bare field. Had a big white dog that loved to go along. He was on my left and I looked to the right a coyote was right by my side keeping same speed playfully. I saw it the same time 'Whitey' did. But Mr. Coyote slammed it in overdrive and left us like we were standing still.
I rode the bare sparsely brushed hills for quite a long time. Hoss had some rough moves a few times. Got back to the old ranch house and corral. THEN I noticed my billfold was GONE! Every cent I had was in that old leather thing.
Tired as I was, I backtracked but no sign of it. Did this several times different days until I finally gave up.A month or so later the dog was near the corral chewing on part of the old billfold! The cards were chewed apart and scattered . No money to be found..AND the blasted dog would not TELL ME WHERE HE FOUND IT!
I rode and rode no remains of the money and leatherto be seen.
About 8 months later after I had forgotten all about the loss, I see faded nearly white dollar bills stuck to the bare sandy loam on a bare hill about a mile from the house. Had bleached in the hot summer sun several long months and been rained on a few times. They were nearly blank so faded out.
All were there. And a few bits of the leather too.
SO I learned from that ALWAYS PUT BILLFOLD IN FRONT JEANS POCKET WHEN RIDING A JUMPY HOSS..that's the COWBOY WAY!
J D
- Wednesday, September 28, 2011 at 15:34:06 (CDT)

Calliham had its annual fund raiser BBQ/auction for the fire dept. It was jam-packed with folks eating, visiting and later bidding on the donated items.
I had rigged up a western type decoration wall hanger using an old BB pistol that looked like the real thing along in a holster and cartiridge belt mounted on a plywood board with drawing. BUT knowing the type I would have to deal with declined to bring it. Instead I took a miniture carbide cannon that is a July 4th noisemaker when carbide/water is applied.
I knew some of the ol' boys would have grabbed the BB pistol making sure it wasn't going to 'GO OFF and KILL everyone !!!' Sure 'nuff one of the charactors came running up with "IS IT LOADED!!!?' When I brought the little miniture cannon.
There were two rifles in the bunch to be auctioned...bet no ol'boys said a word when some rich dude brought them in.
People are funny, some think I am a book writer and paint pictures. Which I am neither. One guy wants me to help his kinfolks publish a book and others think all I have to do is copy Ace Reid's cowboy cartoons. After I painfully explain that I draw cartoons, next time I see them asks if I am 'still painting pictures?'
One of the ladies from here made a barbwire wreath hung a deer antler, an old horse bit and a couple other items on it including a wasp nest. It brought $300 in the auction!! My DANGEROUS tiny cannon brought $70...
J D
- Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at 06:48:17 (CDT)

For an interesting study in HUMAN BEHAVOIR, the quirks and perks of human nature try doing business of all places at....A GUN SHOP. First thing I noticed was the subdued dim lighting at this paticular place. There's a good reason for that. Joe tried to examine the rifiling or bore of a used .22 revolver. He asked to borrow the bore light and was handed a 'bore mirror' and told to stand by the sunlight from the front door...which isn't any help seeing anything whatsoever.

Joe simply wanted to swap a nice pump shotgun for a western style .22. NO CHANCE of getting a quality RUGER...unless you shell out at least $250 more bucks! AND you are trading a shotgun he will sell for $225 !

Meanwhile another ol' boy simply wants to swap off a fine RUGER 357 revolver that was barely used for another western style more like the original Colt six-shooters. He just likes authentic styled old west guns. As the gun shop man looks over the RUGER offered in trade, he makes these remarks " This gun is REALLY LOOSE...must've had lots of HEAVY LOADS go through it..."
Which the owner knows for sure is PURE BALONEY! Just fabricated to drive down the trading value. The ol' cowboy gets madder than a wet hen but tries to keep a cool head.

Meanwhile the ol' boy who wants to swap the shotgun is offered what appears to be a freshly blued second rate imported western style .22 revolver...and expects customer to pay $55 more dollar AND the shotgun.

Growing weary customer makes the deal...although he couldn't see the rifling/bore at all with the dinky tiny mirror and dim lights. Gets 'new' .22 home. Loads up, shoots at big cardboard target about 10 away. It shoots..but dosent make round bullet holes...makes looong holes the size of the bullet in cartiridge. That is called 'tumbling'..bullet hits sideways on target! Means there is a badly PITTED barrel it had to travel through.

Well the 'new' gun has become a 'rat/snake shot' only six-shooter. Actually gun only worth the $55 and shotgun SHOULD have come home with him . But that's life...so keep outa them dang GUN SHOPS!!
J D
- Friday, September 23, 2011 at 10:54:35 (CDT)

TREVIA AND HUGH BODEY and any one else PLEASE SEND EMAILS TO MY NEW ADDRESS cowfruit@hotmail.com I can no longer access the old address mails. thank you,
J D
- Wednesday, September 21, 2011 at 06:12:29 (CDT)

My neice Roxanne from up Gilmer (TX) way says the fires were very bad covering many many acres of piney woods. Lots of folks up that way depend on the wood harvesting for a living. Hundreds of homes burned out. Homeless people in shelters every where there are places left to get in. Roxy's church was a 'command center' for 5 different fire departments during the fast spreading flames that almost got to the town of Gladewater. Rough times here abound!!
J D
- Monday, September 19, 2011 at 07:52:13 (CDT)

Yesterday (Aug.17th) Calliham got a hearty 2 inch gulley whopper! We all waited a HELL OF A LOOOONG TIME for a good rain like this!! Today most of us from the Calliham church, after services headed off to Three Creeks to enjoy the Dairy Queen! That good ol' fashioned rain put us in a festive thankful mood! Right now I see LIGHTNING comming from toward San Antonio direction...I better unhook this wizard machine..afore it blows a gasket!!
J D
- Sunday, September 18, 2011 at 20:29:00 (CDT)

We finally got some much-needed rain here in North Texas. We hope it helped put out some of the wildfires we've had around our area. I don't know how much we got but are thankful for any amount right now!
Virginia Fay Clark
- Sunday, September 18, 2011 at 11:53:47 (CDT)

Well, my theory on that peculair subject is this: The sounds of cows farting means they've been eating good. Most likely the right mixture of curly mesquite grass and mesquite beans. Therefore they'll get fat,sassy and have lots of little bull calves. And you'll be able afford that new pair of Tony Lamas and palm leaf hat and you'll look spiffy at the livestock auction and look REAL TEXAS as you walk in the bank!
J D
- Saturday, September 17, 2011 at 12:55:24 (CDT)

Well, I thought it sounded better than "Cowfart."
Lefty
- Saturday, September 17, 2011 at 11:49:18 (CDT)

I have a NEW EMAIL ADDRESS it's cowfruit@hotmail.com
So Trevia, Jay & Cheryl, Randy & Carol, Laura & DiAnna,Melvin,Carol Bedwell,Roxy,John, Fay and all remember the change, please. ( Includes you too Santiago Jim) DON"T ASK ME WHAT IN TARNATION "COWFRUIT" MEANS...ASK EL GRANDE WEBMEISTER!
J D
- Tuesday, September 13, 2011 at 22:08:41 (CDT)

Here we are way in September. Still no rain, still triple digits temps. Our REAL COWGIRL DiAnna's son starts to school and my neice Roxanne's little daughter also begins her schoolin'.

Reflects in my mind my own starting to school. I HATED SCHOOL! Quickly learned more foolishness from the poor Mexican kids than I ever learned in books. They were brought up with a mixture of Catholic and witchcaraft voodoo beliefs handed down from native Americans I suspose.

Their folks had some strange old beliefs that really had a hold on 'em! AND that persists even to this day1

Off that subject (before I get an EVIL HEX put on myself!)

There was a small concrete/stucco behind the old Calliham school house. The school teacher used it to store range cubes(cattle feed). One of my school mates Roger Wilson found out how to squeeze in the window. Fill pockets with cubes. He bragged about it and ate some of the cubes. (UGH!!) Teacher found out and told kids that he had put posion on the cubes to kill rats. Roger got really upset thinking he was GOING TO SURELY DIE SOON! CRIED UP A STORM!

Sort of funny how serious kids take things. Cary (our webmeister) was around 5 years old then and me 7. Cary came to school that cold winter day. It had rained a good bit. Around the steel merry-go-'round was a huge mud hole under the thing. He wanted to ride it, so I pushed the wheel avoiding the mud. Some reason Cary toppled off.S P L A T T T in the gooey blackland boghole. He thought the end of the world had come...all that mud on his winter sweater and pants. The teacher's wife (also our teacher)saw how he was upset and took him to their house and dressed him in a dry sweather/cleaned him up. He was really heart broken.

Meanwhile word got around that MEAN OL' JOHNNY DEAN threw poor Cary in that mud hole for sheer MEANNESS! I was the dirty skunk of the whole school!!

When the lady teacher (Mrs. Knox) brought Cary back to the school room with dry clothes on, Cary was still looking sad, so she gave him a BIG KISS on the forehead to cheer him up! Boy howdy those kids really had something to tease about then!

A couple years after that we had another young lady teacher. She loved to read us J. Frank Dobie stories. I really loved those south Texas ranch, cowboy, lost treasures true stories!

It was during the Korean war and our teacher's brother was right in the middle of it. She would read aloud letters from her brother to us school kids every week or when she got one. One day a letter came that he was missing in action. She read it and broke down, went out of the school room to sob so sadly in the coatroom. I guess I will never forget how sad that was, he had been sending good natured funny letters for so long.

Time went by it was about 1950 that sad day. In the mid 1980s I was sitting in a car by Lee Odom Hardware store in Three Rivers. That same lady teacher walked by. I reconized her and spoke up a" HOWDY! MISS COQUAT!!" Well, guess I didn't look like that towheaded little skinny boy of the early 50s any more. The poor lady walked away fast as she could, no telling what kinda rascal she thought I was!! Would have loved to chat with her. JD
J D
- Monday, September 12, 2011 at 20:19:35 (CDT)

JD,
Something funny is going on with hotmail. The URL www.hotmail.com no longer works. I tried hotmail.com. That link worked, but the login link did not work.

You can leave me a message in the photos comment file.
Lefty
- Thursday, September 08, 2011 at 23:04:14 (CDT)

WOW! Was 59 degrees early this morning! The strong smell of brushfires from up above Austin was in the air, even though it is near 200 miles away! Hundreds of homes burned. Thousands of acres in at least 60 brushfires all over the state are at it right now! Really been a rough summer!

On a lighter note, I bought one of them folding mountain bikes. Had to finish putting it together. Saves gasoline, I can go sailing down the road to the post office or church which is a northern direction BUT comming back facing the wind..even a 5 mph wind wears me out fast! Nearly played out before I am half way home! And as of yet cant find a good place to mount a gun rack. Has a horn or really a 'buzzer'on the handlebars. Heckfire..what's the matter with yelling" GITTT OUTA MY WAY YOU STUMPHEAD &^%**(# !!" (Guess that wouldn't be nice.) That's louder than a little 'buzzar'.

Reminds me of years ago, me and another cowboy was hanging 'round the old TEXACO gas station in old Calliham. Back then you seldom seen a car pass by in mid day. I noticed some kids had parked their bikes out front while going in after a Nehi-orange of whatever. So I told the other cowboy "Let's have a roping contest!" I put a beatup old 5 gallon can at the edge of the hyway. We would ride a bike as fast as we could and rope the old can dragging it up and down the hyway. Made enough noise to wake up General Robert E. Lee from a 100 year nap in the cemetery!! Just one way po'folks have fun...!
J D
- Tuesday, September 06, 2011 at 21:37:09 (CDT)

DAYTON,

NO DON'T CALL ME....CALL "LEAKS 'R US"!! Found out the pipe had three different kinds of connections. OLD gray pipe that isnt made any more, old squared coupling and present day white PVC pipe. Tangled up in grass root growth....in gooey blackland mud/rocks! THAT'S WHY I HURT ALLLLOVER! I remember an ol'boy that worked for the STEPHENSONS fixing water leaks, he said "YOU KNOW, ITS A FUNNY THING...every where I find a leak...there's a dang MUDHOLE!!"
J D
- Sunday, September 04, 2011 at 23:13:28 (CDT)

JD...THAT WATER PIPE WAS THERE 31 YEARS?? YOU MUST HAVE BEEN
14 YEARS OLD WHEN IT WAS INSTALLED.
DAYTON
- Sunday, September 04, 2011 at 19:40:52 (CDT)

JD.....TELL ME HOW YOU CAN HURT ALL OVER...MORE THAN ANYTHING
ELSE?? WHEN I HAVE A WATER LEAK I WILL CALL YOU.
DAYTON
- Sunday, September 04, 2011 at 19:34:03 (CDT)

Another blazing hot/dry week has expired. Hoss trainer came for the paint mare. Backed big hoss trailer near the cabin. Cut wheels sharp to turn...right on top of a slow leaking waterline. Got it leaking more cause ground was soft. I helped catch mare with feed. Loaded very easy in trailer. She's gonna be bred to an appaloosa stud. Also be shod. Meanwhile have another ol'boy using the place to break another paint. A gelding this time.

So it's time to deal with the water leak right in the road. Either very early or very late in the day to dig the darn thing. After digging two ditches, I find the leak. Spent an hour dipping water with a cooking pot. Pipe pretty deep, most of the ground was hard packed except right in the leak. Was pretty well plastered in blackland mud, when a ranch hand stopped by and helped me finish the job with right size connections. I am so sore from the heat and nearly standing on my head reaching and digging for the longest time..I HURT ALL OVER.....MORE THAN ANY PLACE ELSE!! It's fixed and I HOPE IT LASTS another 31 years like the first time!

So I am on another 'project'. Making a western wall hanger, a rather large one for the fire dept. fund raiser later this month. This one features a Mexican cartiridge belt/holster with old gun mounted on a wood board...maybe add some pictures . Haven't decided yet...still working on the thing... Lord bless U'all! JD
J D
- Friday, September 02, 2011 at 21:47:14 (CDT)

Mercy snakes! Terrible HOT these days! Been trying to keep plants alive at the cemetery. Plot markers (big nail like irons) that are driven in the ground hang up on the water hoses. Huge cracks in the ground you have to step over. I tripped over a marker and hit face first bending the brim on my straw hat to my nose. Makes me think of visiting an old cemetery a little ways off the road in Frio county several years ago. Very well kept, no weeds. Each grave had an old felt cowboy hat stuck to the ground. Had been there quite awhile, the felt had hardened nearly like stone. Don't know what in Sam Hill they was celebrating! Not far from there was another cemetery near the road. I read the names, the SAME names of people whom I knew back in the Calliham area...and most were still alive! Now that is pretty WEIRD STUFF! Had to be kinfolks of them. Otherwise I felt like I had slipped into a time warp!

Beings that I have trained my little mind into developing cartoon ideas, cemeteries can be a good place to start. "....and by that old mesquite in the far left was a tombstone with fine carved lettering "Sooo, you think it's hot where you are, you don't know HOT where I am !"

Then I stumbled across this stone newly put in.: " I told you I was SICK!"
And a grand ol' carved tombstone with this: " SCREW you I R S , I took it with me in astbestos bags!"

In the far back by the old cactus plant was this stone from an old cowboy: " Please chunk my ol' hoss an ear of corn now & then. Thank you kindly..."

bestos bags!!"
J D (who else?)
- Monday, August 29, 2011 at 17:11:26 (CDT)

Looking over my attempts at turning out a 'blog' or whatever, I sure need a proofreader! Still don't know how to space the lines so to be easier reading. NOW if I could find a proofreader aka. CORRECTOR that looks just like that MODEL that posed with the paint mare......
J D
- Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at 22:43:28 (CDT)

I will title this one ~GIFTS~. All have certain talents but not many ever discover or develop them. I had a relative who was one of the last real brush country cowboys. He had broke horses for the army, worked as tophand on some big old time cow outfits. Great mechanic too. Sometimes a rancher would tell him about a missing cow, how to find it in thousands of acres of thickets. Afraid the cow would die from screw worms and such. My relative would tell him where the cow was and that it was cured and not to worry. Now that is a GIFT, a remarkable one! That is the GIFT of curing. Some speak in tongues, some have a GIFT of preaching. My late brother had quite a few GIFTS. Starting out as a teen drawing funny cowboy ads for The Pleasanton Express news. Hundreds of drawings and newspaper columns. When Mike worked for the BEEVILLE PICAYUNE news, the editor told Mike there was an old black man in a certain part of Beeville with a very interesting story to tell. Mike and the elderly man sat on the porch at his home and had a good chat. The old fella related having a strange gift of being able to actually see demons and angels and beings of the spiritual realm. For example the man say" See that lady walking down the sidewalk, there are 4 demons above and around her trying to put negative ideas in her head to do some sin, could be to buy dope or steal from her boss..anything. Now two HUGE good angels grapple with the demons to ward them away from the lady. You see cars and people milling around as normal everyday life...but I see a host of demons, good and bad angels and its a fight between good and evil all the time. I've had this gift all my life." I don't recall this story ever being in the BEEVILLE PICAYUNE. Look at the spiritually ignorant people that make up the masses today...it wouldn't set to well with them and they buy the papers, the ads......
J D
- Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at 22:33:36 (CDT)

PEOPLE SAY THE DARNEST THINGS! I am gonna pretend to be ART LINKLETTER as he interviewed kids...but most are ADULTS up in age! While discussing an upcomming family reunion and our ancestors, a lady in the 80s declares " I NEVER believed grandpa took a cow herd up to Kansas...people CAN'T ride a horse that far!!" Another lady in her GOLDEN YEARS asks me seriously:....'Were we Yankees or Confederates?' A lady in her 50s bought a brass black powder flask at a curio shop. It was full of Black Gun Powder. I explained it should not be behind glass on display in the window....may get hot and BLOW up the house! She says 'Oh , I know ALL about black gun powder...you sprinkle it on a gun's TRIGGER so it will shoot!' Now for the kids: I take off my big hat at some folks house. A 10 yr. old boy replies " Oh, I thought the ONLY reason people wore hats was so they won't have to comb their hair!" While visiting friends I hadn't seen in a couple years, a small boy of about 8 yrs. old asks me seriously " Are you REALLY Johnny DEAN ?" I answer back "Yes, I am." He thinks awhile and says "Well, I guess you DO sort of resemble YOUR SELF..." And finally a cowman friend who moved to town and there was a family living across the street with about 6 kids with nothing to do. So as the cowman drove back and forth every day the 12 miles to check on the herd and do a few ranch chores, he invited the kids to ride with him to visit the ranch just to be doing something. They seems to enjoy the ride and things went well. He carried them back home that evening as he lived across the street. A few days later the kids mother saw the cowman in town and replied " Oh, my kids really enjoyed see all the ducks, piga, goats and turkeys at your ranch!' Well, we DIDN"T have any ducks, pigs, goats and turkeys at all! So my cowman boss figured he better not mess with those ragmuffins any more!
J D
- Monday, August 15, 2011 at 14:49:21 (CDT)

Hey Sportsfans...My neice Roxanne sent in a couple photos of her, Jon and their "BIG 5 YEAR OLD GIRL"(as she wants to be called)and old me. The photos are in CALLIHAM PHOTOS. ALSO a real professional MODEL from San Antonio had a photo shoot here (film crew and all!)on my place with the paint mare I am boarding. Her pic is right there in CALLIHAM PHOTOS. Her name is CHELSIE FRANZ. She's 17 and already quite a name in modeling!
J D
- Tuesday, August 09, 2011 at 14:53:02 (CDT)

Today was Gov. Perry's National Day of Prayer and Fasting. I had no solid food at all but being so extremely hot I drank some cool water with grape juice to keep from drying up and blowing away. Guess I must have prayed 40 times today. Wildlife has been really struggling and lots of fawns dying. People turning loose donkeys and horses on the highways cause they can no longer afford to feed them. This reminds me of long ago. My aunt Rosabelle was a nurse at the old hospital in Three Rivers. Late one night a family was brought in with a little Mexican girl covered completely in blood. They thought she was dying. The family had hit a stray horse with their car. Cutting the poor animule INTO. After the little girl was cleaned up, there wasn't a single scratch on her...just all horse blood! Guess the grown ups were pretty soaked also. Anyhow our nation is in one heap o' trouble and needs lots of seeking and praying for God's healing. As to be expected all the old diehard reprobates complained and made light of Gov. Perry's day. But the Holy Bible tells us "...there will come a time when EVERY knee will bow before the LORD ."
J D
- Saturday, August 06, 2011 at 22:50:52 (CDT)

Hi Lefty. Funny thing I just got through reading all about "Cowboys and Aliens" in COWBOYS and INDIANS magazine. I think it will be an action packed thriller in a very realistic old west setting. A couple days ago I watched THE MISSING with Tommy Lee Jones....now that one will scare the chili con carne out of you!
J D
- Friday, August 05, 2011 at 17:01:23 (CDT)

While your at it, pray that they won't make any more movies like "Cowboys and Aliens." This could be the end of The Old West as we have known it.
Lefty
- Friday, August 05, 2011 at 14:27:35 (CDT)

Texas Gov. Rick Perry calls for statewide DAY OF PRAYER set for Aug. 6th. This is to be a day of fasting and praying for our nation. We need this badly, the way the 'powers that be' are taking the name of Jesus and God out of everything they can get away with. Under the guise it might offend some half wit heathers that come over here. So lets make this a great worshiping/fasting day!
J D
- Thursday, August 04, 2011 at 22:08:52 (CDT)

We got a tiny sprinkle out of the "gulf Storm". It dumped out on the King Ranch and Del Norte Mexico. WELL MAYBE NEXT TIME !!!!
J D
- Saturday, July 30, 2011 at 10:41:13 (CDT)

Yep, I knew our post office days were numbered. Going be a pretty much hardship on me and others. I pay all my bills by money orders and the drug store in Three Rivers often mails my pills to me. Looks like the huge stream of oil field workers/families moving in every nook and cranny here would pay to keep a post office going. BUT not much else makes any sense anymore these days. Still have hopes we will have lots more folks join us at CALLIHAM NON-DENOMINATIONAL church...Don't have to dress up fancy...come as you are..I wear my ten gallon hat and jeans! Usually have a fresh pot of coffee plugged in and simmering !!
J D
- Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 17:01:03 (CDT)

Horrors!

The Calliham post office is on the Postmaster General's list of post offices to be closed!

Also the town where I grew up, Tuleta, will no longer have a post office.

Lefty
- Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 16:46:58 (CDT)

Well, It finally rained here. We haven't seen rain in more than 2 months but finally today we got about an inch. It's Not much...but better than nothing. Hope everyone int he Corral is doing good and keeping cool in this heat! Hey on another note, I would like to upload some photos to the site. Maybe Lefty can e-mail me with the protocol for getting this done. Bye for now!
Roxanne
- Monday, July 25, 2011 at 21:51:13 (CDT)

Still no rain here. Rained nearby...well, they needed it! Throughout the years folks have given me great books as Christmas and birthday gifts. Finally I am getting around to reading some I hadn't got to yet. Have a dadgum good little library stuck away in old suitcases, barrels, boxes and in old desk drawers etc.etc. Just finished a great book titled "Chronicles of the Big Bend' a photographic memoir of life on the border' W D Smithers. Could not put down this book once I got started. Wonderful photos of the 1910s through 1940s era in that reagon. The Indian/Mexican culture, the U S Army horse soldiers,Texas Rangers, ranch life, early U S Airforce development. The flora & fauna of that wonderful mysterous desert country. Very interesting is the use of different desert plants to cure all kinds of sicknesses that have been handed down through the centuries by Indian and Spanish "curenderos". Growing up in south Texas, I become aware of such at an early age. I know they really work and have saved many a life. Maybe we need a painted up old Apache medicine man to do a rain dance....but I guess not. WE just gotta wait on the Lord...
J D
- Friday, July 22, 2011 at 17:15:52 (CDT)

Another blazing HOT & DRY week has come and went. Several grass fires took place nearby. Firemen often has difficult finding how to get to certain pasture fires with locked gates here and there. Being fast to the scene is really important to stop fires from getting out of control. Cutting fences could mean cattle getting out of the highways and lawsuits etc.etc. An old timer from here used to say"Life is great..if'n you don't weaken." Another thing he used to say was " Lots of people dying these days, that never did die before." I am still trying to figure that one out. Got a new eating place here in Calliham. Has an order window and a pick up window. Just got some chopped BBQ. Mostly because a good lady friend has just started working there. Of course the price is extremely high for me any way. The poor gal was about to get overheated preparing the orders. The phone was ringing off the wall and two more guys were ready to order behind me. So business looks pretty good there. Really good BBQ ! They have Pizzas also and ought to start having hamburgers.I remember way back a few years ago. I rode my hoss "Dusty" up to the store there. Tied the reins on a heavy pipe framework that supported a large ship's bronze bell. I run inside store got a can of snuff (NO MORE) and run back out to my hoss. For some reason he had spooked, drug the heavy pipe/bell framework way off near the highway! The bridle was pulled so tight he was near dying for breathe! I had a nightmare getting the leather pulled loose so he could breathe. Amazing the reins didn't break apart! Had to work fast before hoss went berserk! Got it loosen finally and in a moment of excitment I jerked the heavy pipe, bell and all right back where it was susposed to be, right by the store wall. A few days later I noticed the thing was well bolted down to the cement slab. Guess the store owner at that time cussed me until he died years later. Yep, it's great life if'n you don't weaken ....
J D Who else ?
- Monday, July 18, 2011 at 13:31:46 (CDT)

Hi Randy. I didn't take any pictures at the reunion. Takes about an 80 mile round trip to any developing place. My heart attack was in '04. Had a triple-bypass. Still making monthly payments to Air-Life (helicopter) and Star Anesthesia. Mostly likely be doing so the rest of my life. HOWEVER that's the AMERICAN way....live and die in debt! Quite a bit like ranching in south Texas. The attitude of the old timers I worked for was " Not making a cent off the cattle, going in the hole daily, buying feed etc.etc.barely making payments on the land, used pickup, vet bills, hired help etc.etc. "...but I am HERE on a Texas ranch and am a COWMAN!" As for myself, not a rancher any more. Just an old buzzard knocking around my little pasture..GLAD to be ALIVE!
J D
- Monday, July 11, 2011 at 05:50:18 (CDT)

J.D. sorry to hear about your heart attack. Glad your staying out of the heat. Did you take any pictures at the reunion??
Randy
- Sunday, July 10, 2011 at 19:17:50 (CDT)

Hi to the 3 or 4 faithful readers of this here mess. Being hot as blazes has made me pospone my brush clearing(by hand) 'til decent cooler times. Made the mistake of trying to watch daytime TV! One of the most disgusting thing I come across is the JERRY SPRINGER show. This Jerry guy has managed to have a daily display of the dregs of society. If most of the average folks in the USA are like these poor creatures, WE ARE IN DEEEEP TROUBLE! Jerry always says to watch his show "There isn't any thing like it on TV..." How WRONG he is! On one of the Mexican channels is a DUPLICATE that closely resembles the ghastly trash. What kind of thinking would have a person go before 40,000,000 viewers all over the world to confess the most rotten sins that they commited! Knowing it would tear apart the heart of their spouse or lover? AND there is the MAURY POVICH show,,,,Maury dragging out the big yellow envelope with the D N A results and lie detector results..."No you're NOT the father of that baby..." Usually one of the couple goes berserk screaming, waving arms, pointing fingers, cursing and running off the stage with wonerful ol' MAURY trying to console him or her. All these dreadful programs have audiences chomping at the bit wanting MORE and MORE!!! More human misery and depravity ! What ever happened to the 'good ol' days' when Art Linkletter, Dick Clark, Milton Berle and Red Skelton dazzled us with great music and clean laughter? Daytime TV, NO THANK YOU!!
J D
- Wednesday, July 06, 2011 at 15:52:05 (CDT)

I celebrated the 4th, today, by eating at the Taqueria (north side of Tres Rios, tx.)Mighty GOOD grazin'! Good lookin' mamacitas too! Took a huge watermelon rind to my cousin's mare. She didn't want to touch it. When ol' Dusty was alive, he'd try to devour every morsel of a rind. Slobber and chew on it all evening. Being close to the park area, tourists would drive by quite a bit during holidays. One dude dumped a bunch of watermelon rinds on the ground right by Dusty's feed trough. I hurried over there put em in the trough. The 'town dude' said I was spoiling my horse etc. I told him "Dusty" will push the big rind all over the dirt trying to bite off peices and have to eat a ton of dirt doing so. DIRT WEARS OUT TEETH! It only takes a few seconds to run a knife through it in the trough, making him bite sized peices.! Mr. Smart Butt didn't say anything. Some time later the same Mr. Smart Tourist stopped by here and reported " Your horse is acting NASTY. I can see him in that pasture area near the intersection...!" I was thinking "What in Sam Hill is he talking about??" Found out old Dusty was rubbing his naval against the ground scratching the fly bitten itchy stomach area. Hellfire..he's a HORSE! He had more sense than most of the big town tourists that come through here! On the news all day today, law enforcement is WARNING everyone STAY OUT OF THE MEXICO SIDE OF NUEVO LAREDO! The drug cartel is planning on its kidnapping,robbing, beating and shooting Americans that cross over to celebrate the Fourth of July. Stay on the Texas side of the Rio Grande by all means! Mary Fern..glad you are getting over the heart attack! Had mine 7 years ago...No more snuff, cigars and NO big Dr. Pepper ever day and no DOUBLE strong cowboy coffe, If it wasn't so dang HOT, I'd feel like a young whippersnapper again! Oh, yeah I've taken up drinking goat milk too! BaaaBaaa..bye for now.
J D
- Monday, July 04, 2011 at 17:21:04 (CDT)

Thanks to all who prayed for my health. Seems one of the Calliham curses(ha!) has been put on me, too. Had a heart attack on June 29. But I knew enough to know I'd better get to hospital and quickly! so I did survive and staved off a major coronary! Thanks again to all for prayers.
Mary Fern Calliham Pitman
- Sunday, July 03, 2011 at 13:57:05 (CDT)

Please say some prayers for Mary Fern Pittman. She has been having heart related health problems. Was sent to the hospital in Mena, Ark. Today had to be sent to a much more advanced heart center for further tests. Pray for her family who are really concerned. Thank you. JD
J D
- Thursday, June 30, 2011 at 14:00:17 (CDT)

Been feeding a couple mares and some goats lately. Dragging waterhoses around trying to keep some plants alive. I miss the old ranches and sizable cattle herds. Nothing as peaceful as the herd resting mid-day among the mesquites in shades, chewing their cuds as their babies nap. An old rancher and I rode horseback quietly near the resting cattle. He had a one of his wife's old purses hanging from his saddlehorn. It contained the little bottles of Blackleg, bangs and other disease preventives and the syringe. I would step off my horse get a firm hold on a napping calf while the rancher shot it with syringe. Worked pretty good that way. Calmer the better. Amazes me that some old time ranchers had hundreds of mixed cattle and knew the complete family history of every animule going nearly as far back as Noah's flood! Reminds me of the old saying in dry south Texas.."When Noah had the flood, Calliham got only 2/10 inch". Back in the '40s 'round these parts (job hunting) "Its the cotton patch or the oil patch..." If you couldn't do nuthin' else it was be a cowboy they said. That was a kinda insult to me. That was ALL I wanted to be! I hated being soaked in crude oil working on some well down on some stifling hot river bottom and taking chances getting a arm or head crushed in noisy machinery. I am proud to report I NEVER PICKED COTTON ! Hauled millions of baled hay. Pulled tons of corn in grassburs up to your knees and black scorpions stinging me....but thank the living HEAVENS..I NEVER PICKED COTTON!
J D
- Monday, June 27, 2011 at 20:45:09 (CDT)

Hey everyone...very IMPORTANT HEALTH message: A pork product warning has been issued ! Don't buy Barney Franks or Anthony Weiners !
J D
- Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 18:22:15 (CDT)

Cary/Lefty: Sure 'nuff EVERY WORD is exactly like it happened! I'll swear on a stack of OBAMA birth certificates!
J D
- Sunday, June 19, 2011 at 22:06:30 (CDT)

Well, JD, that's not exactly how I remember it, but I guess it's still a pretty good story.
Lefty
- Sunday, June 19, 2011 at 20:38:40 (CDT)

These old blazing hot summer days bring back lots of memories of long ago living on the old farm that was the last remaining acres of the Calliham ranch. Us kids had the Frio river to frolic in trying to stay cool. Letting a big watermelon float in the cool river until we got ready to cut it.
Guess I was about 12 and Cary 10. As we walked to the river, Cary noticed some junk thrown in a gulley. The way folks disposed of stuff them days. He kept looking and looking at the old stuff.An old lawn mower,a tricycle, phonograph, tractor seat and parts etc.etc. I got peeved and went on swimming by myself.
An hour or so later as I walked back with my dog and Red Ryder BB rifle,saw he had dug out a bunch of the old junk. "Dang Pudgie! (his nickname back then) Gonna get on a dadgum rattlesnake messing in that trashpile!"I scolded him.
'lets go get Grannie's garden cart and haul these parts to the old barn!" he replied.
I was mad but decided to go along and see WHAT he was up to. We got a heavy load of 'parts' via the cart put in the empty old barn. Then he said "dont bother me for a few days, I gotta figure this thing out!"
I said "Figure WHAT OUT! Dad's gonna be mad as a wet hen when he sees the dang junk back in the barn again!" I didn't bother Cary for couple days. Mother asked me if we had a fight or something. Granny did get to wondering if we had a fight or one was sick etc.etc. Every day Cary would sneak off and be in the old gray barn most of the day. Finally on the third day, Cary asked if we could get so coal oil to try out some kind of device he stuck together. I said sure, Dad had a little can in garage to pour on mesquite roots to kill them. So I got it to him. Inside the old barn, he had rigged up a machine...the likes I never seen in all my born days!! Made from junk parts from the gulley. Even an old speedometer from a model T Ford was screwed on the top part.
He said it was time to haul the 'machine' in the cart about half way(half mile) to town, I was baffled but went along pushing the heavy cart down the sandy old hot road. We got to where he figured we needed to be and we unloaded the funny looking machine.
I scratched my head "What in heck blue blazes IS the goofy contraption?"
He replied 'Just pour in the coal oil right here in this lawn mower fuel tank'
So I did.
"Its the world's FIRST MOTORIZED UNICYCLE!" he blurted out proudly. It had the big tricycle wheel, a motor attached above that...and a rusty old John Deere tractor seat atop that!
He said "I'll hop on, you crank it up and I'll be at the old Texaco service station drinking a Coke and BE FAMOUS!"

I cranked the 'motor' ( made from lawn mower parts and who knows what?) It roared...he took off like a speed demon from hades or a big bat out of heckfire goshamighty! In a few seconds a skinny old cow stepped out in front of the roaring speed machine. Cary turned loose and hit the sandy old ground making a huge dust cloud! He didn't want to hit the bony old cow. The 'machine' got even faster and SMACK right into the wooden gate by the cattleguard. Tore a huge hole in the old boards...and scattered junk parts in all directions! He was all skinned up and made me swear NEVER tell anyone about this...the LAW might jail us for busting up the dang gate! However I think enough time has passed since that 1950s little adventure so we wont get in trouble!!
J D
- Saturday, June 18, 2011 at 10:21:34 (CDT)

Outlandishly HOT and DRY in these parts now for the longest time! Dropped by the flea mart in Jourdanton, Texas friday. All outdoor event with gobs of vendors and masses of people looking for bargains. It wasn't the same this time since two of my friends passed away recently. Woodrow Wilson got me started going there by helping him set up his native honey booth and Buster Cox was the 'arrowhead man' with his fantastic collections of artifacts all framed and set in felt. Now and then have interesting antique shootin'irons for sale or trade. A never ending assortment of wild stories to keep things lively. I miss both of these great guys. Saw Rance Wilson. He has taken the reins of the honey business now. Had just set up a new colorful awning/sunscreen to keep from cooking in the blazing sun. some folks had various kinds of chickens and exotic birds in cages to sell. Lots of iron yard furnitures..very fancy stuff . Fine tooled leather gun belts/holster rigs, rifle scabbards and the biggest brim cowboy hats ever made for sale! This huge market goes on Fridays and Saturdays now. Due to the terrible heat..some vendors start packing up and leaving about 1 pm. Different TREASURES every week! Remember NO BATHROOMS ....so plan ahead! Gotta LOVE IT!!
J D
- Monday, June 13, 2011 at 14:50:00 (CDT)

Fay, though a small turnout, the REUNION was a WINNER! David Calliham again provided his fiddle talents playing old time tunes in the same tradition as grandad Harry Calliham and Dave Calliham played during their lifetimes. I told David " I expected to smell that wonderful aroma of Prince Albert pipe tobacco when I hear those songs. Just like being with grandad long ago." Cliff Calliham roared up from San Antonio on a big shiny HARLEY!! There was just 15 or 16 sign ins on the book. Tons of food left over. Travis Calliham brought a huge cake, he had just taken out of the oven. Real fun REUNION !
J D
- Monday, June 06, 2011 at 06:13:14 (CDT)

How did the reunion go yesterday? I haven't heard, and was wondering how many showed up. Maybe we will be able to attend next yr.
Virginia Calliham Clark
- Sunday, June 05, 2011 at 23:07:22 (CDT)

Hotter than a two dollar pistol today! Remarks like that comming from old buzzards like me spill the beans on just how O L D we are. For instance 'He's running like GANG BUSTERS !' Who on this planet these days has a clue just what GANG BUSTERS were? (Radio melodrama of the 1940s about detectives solving crimes in the big evil cities.) Even GUNSMOKE started out as a 15 minute radio western starring William Conrad as MATT DILLION. Seems like it was just yesterday we had gas lights instead of Rural electricity ( REA). There was a white gas cermamic mantle on the celling rafter, usually in the kitchen area of old farm/ranch houses back then, that was lit and provided about 50% as much light as electricity later did. My grandad Harry Calliham had very poor vision and would put the rocking chair on top of kitchen table , sit in it to be closer to the gas light so he could read western magazines like Zane Gray, Ranch Romance or detective pulp mags. This was WAY before the mighty T E L E V I S I O N came on the scene! Got our electricity installed in 1948. My parents and little me had just come home from Three Rivers that night,(Dad knew we were getting power that day) We entered the dark house...dad found the long string hanging from the celling..pulled it H O L Y M O L Y WOW THE BRIGHTEST LIGHT WE EVER SEEN! For the first time you could plainly see the cobwebs on the rafters up above! Everybody started sheetrocking the rafters after that. There are several 'generations' that don't have those memories to think of or what it was like living in the SURE "NUFF rural country. Some could care less I guess. Which brings me to reminding you'all the CALLIHAM REUNION is comming up soon (June 4th). My mother started this thing years ago. Mom got aunt Rosabelle interested and between the two got it going. Sadly both have passed and our cousins Nora Mae Bryant and her sister Margaret Custer have taken the reins..getting use of the civic building, sending invitations to those they can find addresses to. So many have departed since it started. I never thought the reunion one year would be the last visit with brother Mike....and Clyde would soon follow. These were not aged men that you'd expect to lose. So no one knows when the last chapter will happen in friend/kinships will be finished in this lifetime. But I have a SNEAKING SUSPICION....somewhere there's Mike, Clyde and Roy walking together down a gravely old road pretty much like in Grandad's pasture long ago...and they're laughing and joking about them old times in this earthly existance..and each carrying a homemade fishing pole, a Folger's coffee can of worms to fish in the river that looks just like the old FRIO>
J D
- Monday, May 23, 2011 at 17:49:18 (CDT)

CALLIHAM FAMILY REUNION will be June 4th. covered dish & drinks. LET'S KEEP IT GOING!
J D
- Tuesday, May 17, 2011 at 07:41:21 (CDT)

An "other week in the neighborhood..." as they say. Because of the last 4 months drought, the old insulators on the utility poles here have collected dust. Then we finally got a shower. That made mud out of the dust...in turn causing electric shortages..causing poles to caught fire. First one was at Calliham store, resulting in some grassfire and most of town out of power in the hot summerlike weather...for 4 hours! The followering week two more utility poles caught fire...one by the Calliham post office and another about a mile east of town. This one caused more grassfire but was put out quick. Three new poles had to replace the burned ones! So we had some excitment 'round these parts! We got average ONE INCH of RAIN a couple days ago...THANK YOU LORD...and please follow up with MORE soon! Illegal alliens(Mexicans)are making things dangerous here. A lady 'gate watcher'for a drilling company who was staying in a small camper trailer when illegals come out of the brush robbing her and taking her car. A truck driver stopped to open a ranch gate when he got beaten by two illegals. He fought back with all his might. More of em come out of brush but they had enough of this tough ol' boy's fighting back and left. Driver had to be hospitalized. This stuff happens more and more regularly. Folks that have livestock in their pastures dread to go check on em for looking over shoulders every minute or two ! Most are armed and know how to shoot really good being raised in south Texas! The half wit government wants us unarmed like a bunch of helpless sheep! Citizens in Mexico are forming militas to fight against the drug cartels that are beheading, kidnapping, robbing as they please. And Mexico has a strict gun control policy...but people are arming themselves for protection ANY WAY! More power to 'em I say!!!
J D
- Saturday, May 14, 2011 at 16:05:44 (CDT)

The CALLIHAM FAMILY REUNION will be June 4th !! CALLIHAM COMMUNITY BLDG. Bring a covered dish and drinks if you can and musical instrument if you are talented that way.
J D
- Friday, May 06, 2011 at 21:31:52 (CDT)

Some bonehead dumped off a big tan blackmouth hound dog near my arid chunk of real estate(home). It had been staying off in the pasture with the mare for several days until I spotted it. Of course its ribs were showing and was half starved. Ol'silly me throws it some grub. It takes up residence here and follows me...at a distance every where I walk. So far when I aint looking the hound has chewed strips out of the boards on my porch, ripped all the cold weather wrapping off the fawcets, ate the head off the mop, ripped apart the seat on my ATV, drug out in the yard a big plastic sewer pipe I had stored under the shop and climbed on the ATV bed pulled the big jar of horse treats out and chewed a hole in the plastic jar ate all the horse treats. The hound keeps the water in the hoss trough muddied up by hopping in and wadeing around several times a day. I am begging some hog hunting neighbors to add him to their hunting dog team! So guess I found out why he was dumped out here! I have put cactus around my telephone hook up and the fawcets/water hoses to discourage him from chewing them apart! I AM TOO OLD FOR THIS &%(^%$ STUFF!
J D
- Thursday, April 28, 2011 at 18:55:50 (CDT)

Hi REDNECKS! My computer was in the 'shop' for about a week, so I am miles behind on my e-mail news etc, etc. ( Have 640 junk mails...and had 65 emails)
J D
- Thursday, April 28, 2011 at 13:03:55 (CDT)

Ol' Joe McCoy dropped by on his way home from fishing 3 days on Choke Canyon lake. Hadn't seen the ol' owlhoot in a 'coon's age. We sit out on my old plastic lawn chairs in the Texas bright moonlight and got 'up to date' on events since our last chat. He said the lake was down quite a bit(already knowed that) but he had hauled in a pretty good stringer of catfish. As the night wore on ol' Joe looked serious at me and replied " Well you better not laff your gizzard off at what I'm about to tell you..." I says 'I don't promise any thing but let's hear it!' He thought awhile and.." Remember my uncle Claude, who has that antique (I call it junk) shop up in Goliad ? Well, he saw an ad for antique furniture in a sale paper they have at the grocery store. Since he quit driving due to some kind of nerve condition and wanted me to take us up yonder to east Texas piney woods country to see the furniture. I wasn't doing nothing anyways so we left that saturday early. Reached the piney woods in a few hours and wasn't exactly sure where the 'old 2 lane country road' was. Found one I thought was it and wasn't long hit a stretch of fog. Could hardly see a thing but soon come out in bright sunshine. Joe spoke up" Hey look the last bunch of cars and that old pickup are all 60s & 70s models. Ha ha must be poor job situations up this neck o' the woods!" We drove for the longest time and the road seem to more crooked and poor surfaced as we went. A few patches of fog again amid the tall pines which grew really tall and thick up this way. Then I laughed as I saw a '48 three quarter ton Chevy pick just like I had when was a kid and hauling hay in south Texas! Then there was a '57 Chevy with the tall fins and a duck-tailed pimple faced teen driving it.I noticed the old farmer in the truck and teen in car were starring hard at us like we were them! Joe says "Aw, must be making a movie 'round here some place...you reckon?" "Dadgummed it, Joe I don't know...". The road slowly turned into just a dirt trail by then and was rough."Where in tarnation is that old farm with the furniture any ways!" Joe said as he reread the ad onthe paper. The road was rough and crooked and still patches of heavy fog. A few miles of that and ...a blamed Ford Model T touring car passed us with a farm family dressed in 1920s style clothes! They all stopped and starred at us, pointed fingers and talked excited to each other. The farmer spit a big chaw of terbacco and hooked his hands on the straps of his overalls, looking puzzled and defiant at us. Pushed back his floppy straw hat and squinted sharply at us. I slammed on the brakes turned around headed back the way we come.ol' Joe got mad" What the hell you adoing,,," he yelled. I told him "Look here Joe, the next thing we will see is folks in buggies, mules and horses....that old furniture can go to blue blazing..I'm OUTA HERE MUY PRONTO!!" Ol' Joe is still foaming mad and won't even speak to me. Says 'Aw, they's just poor east Texas folk". But I think DIFFERENT...and PLEASE never mention this thing AGAIN!
J D
- Monday, April 18, 2011 at 12:55:22 (CDT)

Busy and hectic couple weeks! I had pneumonia type illness that got worse until I had to have a series of antibiotics to get over it. Then the other night my glasses frame come apart and I couldn't see worth a hoot! Dogs threw a fit, I must of had a prowler but couldn't see 10 feet so I just had the old .38 six-shooter at the ready. Probably a coon or skunk wandering around. Next day a friend hauled me to Beeville at several Optical/eyewear places but gooood ole WALLYWORLD had just my frames. Funny thing, a big sign on the wall said NEW GLASSES $38.....HOWSOMEVER mine had to cost $94.00 ! But I was mighty happy to SEE again ! Can't remember the name of the place, but we ate at a Mexican cafe that used to be a V F W dance hall. MERCY SNAKES ! ! Must be about three acres under one roof! Really great food. TACO LOCOs are my favorite food...and they make em GOOOOD!! Another great food is MIGAS . The Mexican cafe on the north side of Tres Rios cooks up HUGE platters of MIGAS that should fill up any human bean's stomach to the gills ! The last time thought I'd explode and cover every one and thing in a 40 ft. radius with a layer of frijoles, rice, cheese, tomatoes, fajitas and all the other standard food items of the Latin culture!! Lord bless...and pray for RAIN!! JD
J D
- Wednesday, April 13, 2011 at 17:48:46 (CDT)

On further study of this huge 'land grab' by the Texas National Guard, the ranch mentioned (15,000 acres) is only part of the GRAB. Two more ranches will be hit by the 'grabbers' making a total of 22,232 acres! Absolutely makes no sense whatsoever in taking such a huge amount of ranchland for such an organization. Thank you Mr. Henry Cuellar-congressman, with a stroke of a pen you are destroying the Texas ranching tradition, a way of life and people. Seems cattlemen and farmers don't really own a damn thing any more...just paying rent on land until some Henry Cuellar type comes up with a new plan to run them off and destroy their lives!!
J D
- Friday, April 01, 2011 at 15:35:54 (CDT)

The big story here is the oil & gas boon taking place. Drilling rigs setting up all over tarnation! This time it is the DEEP 14,000-20,000 ft. stuff. And it is the high-tech horizontal drilling taking place. One fine rather large ranch in this county which has been under much improvement such as brush clearing, grass planting and water being piped from afar to provide for cattle and wildlife. Improved living/housing headquarters. NOW the owner gets a notice, the Texas National Guard will be taking all 15,000 acres for their new training facility! GUESS WE JUST THOUGHT WE WERE LIVING IN AMERICA...!
J D
- Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 13:54:03 (CDT)

ATTENTION !!! There'a a new SHERIFF in town! Check out CALLIHAM PHOTOS..the very last photo. He's plenty ARMED & DANGEROUS....he's "DiAnna Del-Rio" (Larson's) sixgun packin' son !
J D
- Tuesday, March 22, 2011 at 13:41:00 (CDT)

A young blonde model and camera crew ( mostly her family) stopped by my little rural abode monday and had a 'photo shoot' with the gal (dressed in casual cowgirl attire)posing with the paint mare I am keeping here. This mare like most paints can be very unpredictable! I had to be very wary and watchful in case flashbulbs and lighting equipement spooked the animule ! I kept a rope on its neck and some grain & soft words comming during the picture taking. Good grief...they must have taken a hundred shots ! Luckily things went pretty well...but the mare could have waited awhile before dropping a couple huge assortments of "brown apples" in the filming area!! The model was cute in her long blonde wavy hair. It was an interesting day...
J D
- Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 15:00:28 (CDT)

A few items; A tourist in Choke Canyon State Park (Calliham unit) stepped out in the dark and got rattlesnake bit. Had to be rushed to hospital. Lady in San Antonio went to work in the morning, a day or two ago. At 5 PM quitting time, she realized that she had forgotten to drop the baby off at the daycare place. It was about 90' outside and baby was closed up in the car all day and had died.
J D
- Wednesday, March 09, 2011 at 13:44:19 (CST)

Folks, GAS is already $4.00 a gallon here in sunny ole Calliham, Texas. Oh how I long for a good ol' country store that serves ordinary country folks instead of catering to rich bass fishermen! Where you can talk 'cows'and 'hosses'and farm/ranch topics. Buy a 50 lb.sack of Horse 'n Mule feed or sack of Range Cubes. Buy grass rope by the foot right out of the dispenser box. Pump your can full of coal oil outside on the pump. Maybe get a new pair of White Mule gloves for them barbwire chores. Can of Ranch Style beans,Saltine crackers and little can of Texsun orange juice,,,you're all fixed for dinner and rest of the hard working day. Guess it will never be 1968 again...but I can dream, can't I ?
J D
- Monday, March 07, 2011 at 19:14:00 (CST)

Looking like SPRINGTIME 'round these parts! Really windy here today. Seems I inherited quite a collection of 'vintage Daisy BB guns'. They were some of my late brother Mike's gunshow items. Gosh, I must have 2o or 25 of the things! Old Red Ryders from the 40s just like I had as a kid wandering the river and creeks of Grandad's pasture waaaaaay back there. There are 8 or 9 Daisy Pump model 25 rifles. Those were the hardest hitting best of the bunch. Last year Daisy had China make copies of that old favorite. Bet your boots they won't last half as long as the ORIGINAL model made in the good ol' U S A! I hear stories of the rear sights falling off when adjusted on the China made guns. I have several of the Daisy/Winchester 1894 and old Sears Roebuck(Daisy)94 carbines. These look EXACTLY like the famous lever-action Winchester 30-30, that is the number one deer rifle in America. A man was telling about getting one of the first Daisy 94 (BB)rifles as a kid many years ago when he lived in a city. That Christmas he walked out in his yard with the gun. A neighbor man from across the street saw him. Came running over, snatched the realistic BB gun from his hands saying 'you ain't susposed to be playing with a 'Thutty-thutty'!! Well, not sure what I will do with em but its fun to clean and oil em up and reflect on those good ole summer days roaming the Frio river bottoms when life was so much simpler!
J D
- Saturday, March 05, 2011 at 12:11:55 (CST)

OH! you said it Fay! she's singing with a bunch of her old buddies,plus her sis and mom and dad, reckon???? would love to hear that. Maybe even my sweetie, Onita, may be joining in!
Mary FernCalliham PItman
- Monday, February 28, 2011 at 21:03:34 (CST)

Feb.28th,2011: Great morning, very COOL! Friday morning some friends from Kentucky dropped by. We hurried to the big outdoor flea mart in Jourdanton (Tx.). A very big assortment of people and goods. Some get there 2 or 3am to secure a good location to display their goodies. One never knows from time to time just what 'treasures' may strike your fancy and...YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT IT! Visited some old friends. Bought a quart of local native honey the week before, this time I found a custom made 'Slim Jim' leather holster. Bought it for a friend in Calliham that requested me look for one for his ol'44 six-shooter. The same place had some fine palm leaf "Gus" style western hats made in Mexico. Got myself a real beauty! Then we drove to the Cowboy museum on the north side of Pleasanton. I am amazed at the great museum they have there! WOW! Every kind of stuffed exotic rare game from around the world. Antique saddles, guns, chuck wagons, different kinds of wagons, old photos of famous cattlemen, brands, newspaper files and a display of KBOP radio interesting history including Willie Nelson's early days there as DJ. Plenty things to see in that great museum!
J D
- Monday, February 28, 2011 at 07:43:21 (CST)

Howdy outlaws! My computer has been in the shop ALL week, just got it back.Am miles behind on email chatting. Have a S L O W D I A L U P system 'round these here parts. I quit trying to download YouTube or whatever...takes a month of sundays to view a 4 minute clip! Beautiful weather here! In fact I have to run the fan all night to get any rest. I traded some of my items for an assortment of American Indian flint points and ancient pottery shards with art designs painted on. Interesting couple visits to the Jourdanton flea mart! The severe freeze a couple weeks ago caused lots of pulled apart water connections resulting in a costly mess in my old mobile home...thank the Lord my new place is secure! See ya,
J D
- Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 18:31:24 (CST)

Thanks to all who have sent sympathy and condolences on the passing of my mother Thelma Calliham. She passed away on Feb 11,in Mena, Ark. after a long illness. May she rest in peace, in the presence of God. She is singing in the Heavenly choir and enjoying seeing her husband Charlie Calliham again. Praise God.
Virginia Fay Clark
- Sunday, February 20, 2011 at 16:07:06 (CST)

Each time we lose a loved one, a parent, sister or brother it seems a part of our soul, a hunk of our life has been torn away. We as Christian decent people must remember there will be a time soon when we will be with that person again. It won't be an aged sickly person as we last knew but a bright healthy vibrant youthful person without any of the baggage of this earthly devil ridden life, none of the fears, regrets and hurts that plague so many most of their lives. What a friend we have in JESUS.
J D
- Tuesday, February 15, 2011 at 07:36:06 (CST)

I mean she is now at peace and can rest, and relax. Poor woman had a rough 3 weeks in ICU..... sure has been a rough go. We all, her 4 living kids, had the memorial service on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011.
Fern Pitman
- Monday, February 14, 2011 at 20:53:26 (CST)

Just to let you all know, Thelma Calliham passed away on Friday morning, peacefully. Now she has joined Charley in the heavenly realm. HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!
Mary Fern Pitman
- Monday, February 14, 2011 at 20:51:39 (CST)

Hi Carol. Wonderful weather this weekend and really enjoyed the visit with Roxanne,Jon and that cute little Savannah! She wants EVERY ONE to know she's a BIG 5 YEARS OLD!! Jon and I found every water pipe connection in the mobile home had froze and pulled apart! Hopeing now they are put back good enough to last this winter! We enjoyed the Jourdanton Flea Mart and later that day a hike in the Calliham unit of Choke Canyon park. Saw quite a few white tailed deer hunting what little green bites to be found. Take care Carol, talk at you later...
J D
- Sunday, February 13, 2011 at 23:54:08 (CST)

JD sounds like you have been enduring this crazy winter storm also in your part of the world. Same here, I've been hibernating like a old bear waiting for the roads and temperatures to clear up enough to join the rest of humanity. The last half-way clear day a week or so ago that I left my driveway to stock up on food for me and the dogs I looked across the road in my neighbors yard and there was a pickup upside down on the roof. I guess it slid on the icy highway and wound up in a scary looking condition. I found out later that the people inside weren't hurt thank the Lord, and finally the wrecker showed up to haul it off. According to the weather channel better days is soon coming and I can't hardly wait. I'm ready for spring and sunny days.
Carol Bedwell
- Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 23:51:49 (CST)

NOTE to (Real cowgirl) Janene. You wouldn't know the places out here now, due to the oil & gas boon! Big road headed by your old homeplace. Heavy oil field equipement yards, huge pipe yards and new business buildings springing up every where all along Highway 72. Highway choked with hundreds of trucks for hours every morning and evening. Huge two story motel complex going up in 3 Rivers. New cafes here and there. The old gray mule ain't what she used to be.....in other words it's getting about time for this old wrangler to move deeper in the woods!!
J D
- Sunday, February 06, 2011 at 13:58:46 (CST)

A busy hectic week...! First thing was I hear loud explosion as I was on computer. Went outside, smelled smoke.An oil field truck blewout two tires about 1/2 mile on highway from my place. Sparks ignited tall dry grass that quickly spread in the wind to a big grassy field that joins Calliham townsite. Next I see a 10 ft. tall wall of fire rapidly headed this way. A man on a maintainer quickly diverts the fire somewhat cutting a firelane. Fire misses my place but wind pushes it behind homes on townsite. I join a family busy with waterhoses trying to save their new home. Two firetrucks and lots of helper join in the choking smoky mess. Was a real battle but we saved the homes. Lots of rats, snakes and rabbits running from the burning dry grass!! THEN in a couple days we get hit with freezing winter storm! Yesterday was a iceland nightmare here! Three days of frozen HELL here! Right now the sun is out and its MUCH BETTER! Thank you LORD!! Pat Calliham has asked for all to pray for his mother Thelma. Who is suffering from pnemonia and very ill.
JD
- Saturday, February 05, 2011 at 13:44:54 (CST)

Great memories, Carol. Remember the RARE time Mike took a bus trip. A hippie charactor offered Mike some kind of drug. Mike declined and offered the hippie a pinch of his Copenhagen. Hippie had never heard of snuff I guess and took a bit of it. In a few minutes, Mr. Hippie was swaying around silly and saying "Wow, FAR OUT BABY! FAR OUT MAN! WOW!" Then once Mike drove to some big city for a gun show. Couldn't park close so had to walk and carry a rifle and had several big sixshooters in his belt down the city sidewalk.....Yep, sure 'nuff here comes a city cop."Mr. where you going with those guns!!" he barked. " Sir, I'm just going to that gun show over there and couldnt find a close parking space." The cop replies" That AIN'T no gun show..it's a FIREARMS EXHIBITION SHOW." ( gun makers and museums display their items.} MIke had to drag all those shootin' irons back to the car. Those were the days>>>
JD
- Wednesday, January 26, 2011 at 11:51:56 (CST)

Wow! J.D. Your memory is sharp as a tack! Yea, I'll never forget that Oklahoma racoon either. Me and Mike named him "Charmin" after the old commercial that showed Mr. Whipple hiding in the grocery store isles squeezing the toilet paper. I remember having to change clothes often up to 3 times a day from picking up "charmin" to put him in my lap 'cause he would unload his colon everytime. I'm sure it was from his diet since we didn't know what to feed a racoon and he ate whatever we ate at the time. I remember my cousin, who was raised in the country, found a nest of baby racoons and showed them to me I couldn't resist having one so I begged him out of it for 50 cents. Charmin's eyes were barely open so as he began to grow up I don't think he knew he was a wild animal and thought he was my baby. Mike and I took him with us to Padre Island and let him run up and down the beach. He loved it and would play in the water with us and never seemed afraid when other beach comers with their leashed pure bred poodles and other dogs barked their heads off acting like they were about to have a tasty meal. We had to give "Charmin" away after he wrecked your Mom's house and crapped in Mikes old hat in the back seat of the '55 Chevy.
Carol Bedwell
- Monday, January 24, 2011 at 13:11:14 (CST)

Hi Carol. Yeah, I remember the first time Mike brought you to meet my mother, dad and me. You looked like about 80 lbs. soaking wet with a big two lb. king sized cigarette in the corner of your mouth. Mother said "Gosh, she sure is a little ol' thing !" .....And that Oklahoma racoon was the terror of the whole place! It climbed the curtains, got in the 'fridge, clawed dirt out of the flower pots..a non-stop destruction devil!! I guess you learned NEVER RIDE one of Travis' horses! One foot in the stirrup and it's 80 MPH in 2 seconds flat!! Just like he used to drive that Dodge Charger! Nice to hear from ya!!
J D
- Monday, January 24, 2011 at 01:00:35 (CST)

J.D. I have thoroughly enjoyed looking over your website at all your cartoons and writings. Each page has brought a big smile to my face and memories that I also have of the old Calliham that is now mostly under water. I am thankful for the 36 years of marriage I had with Mike and I will always miss the history we both were apart of.Your stories reminded me of some I have when Mike and I first met and married. I think most of your family and friends in Calliham thought I came from Oklahoma because that was where I happened to live at the time Mike came to get me so we could get married. Since I was only 19 years old and he was 18 we found out that legally we couldn't marry at our age without permission from his parents so we came back to Calliham and were married in your parents living room. I was born and raised in Texas near Ft.Worth, but had never been anywhere very far from home so when I was introduced to South Texas it was like a whole new world to me. On our honeymoon to south Padre Island I was captivated by the landscape of mesquite trees,yukka plants, date palms, cactus etc. because I had never seen them before in such abundance except maybe a magazine. As we drove along the highway I asked Mike what the name of those strange trees were and he couldn't figure out what I was talking about since none of them were strange to him. After pointing them out when he slowed down that green 1955 Chevrolet he had at the time I got a good geography lesson out of him about south Texas. Another lesson I learned when we reached the beach at Padre Island and were running into the water that seemed to take forever to get waist deep. I was so amazed that as far as I could see was water and after telling him this sure was a big ole lake and how odd the water splashing in my mouth tasted salty he laughed and asked if I realized where we were. Of course, I had no idea until he explained this was the ocean and we were in sea water which is why it was salty. Driving back home to Calliham he mentioned if he couldn't find a job pretty soon he guessed he would just go rough neckin'. I almost felt like crying inside because the only time I had ever heard the term rough neck was from my father. I had asked him if I could go to the movies with 2 or 3 kids I knew from school and he yelled no, that I wasn't going to be hanging around those rough necks. Since I wouldn't dare question anything Dad said, I just thought he meant they were bad people who probably were thieves, crooks, or anything else negative you could imagine. So when Mike said that; I didn't know how to respond and all these worries about the future of our marriage was running through my mind. Finally, I knew I had to say something to try and figure out what I had gotten myself into. I don't remember exactly what I said to him, but I was probing to see if he was thinking about breaking the law or something to support us. Then when he replied nearly my whole family are roughnecks, I almost broke down. I could tell he was confused at my reaction and asked me what I thought a rough neck was. I told him what Daddy had said to me about my short term friends, and he laughed and explained that it was people who work in the oil field and it was honest hard work. Boy, I was so relieved, and thanked God for my ignorance,and realized I just had a lot to learn about life. Also, later on when I met his family who worked in the oil field I could see they were real good people and that Daddy's remark had nothing to do with oil field workers. Another story I remember was learning the difference between "soda water", "pop" and "going to get a coke". I grew up saying "lets go get a coke" meaning buying anything to drink from Dr. Pepper to seven-up, but the first time Mike asked me if I wanted a "soda water", I said no thanks, thinking he meant baking soda in a glass of water, since we had earlier been talking about how nervous we were about getting married the next day and maybe he drank that for his nerves. When he returned to the car drinking a Dr. Pepper, I thought that was a little rude not asking me if I wanted one. He asked again if I was sure I didn't want a "soda water" and that's when I figured out what he was talking about and accepted. We had alot of laughs getting used to our differences. I miss him
Carol Bedwell
- Sunday, January 23, 2011 at 21:21:38 (CST)

Hey yall! I got mom to read the Corall and she decided to write a few stories of her own. I am about to send her the secret link so be expecting some funny stuff soon.
Roxanne
- Sunday, January 23, 2011 at 19:36:33 (CST)

TRAGEDY IN PRICKLY PEARVILLE (final part) Note; To understand this mess, start on part 1 below. SKIPPING THROUGH TIME: Meanwhile Jack and Mona's son has grown into a teenager and mighty scrappy. Jack came up to me while I was working and was very worried. His son and pals had taken intertubes and were on the Frio headed for the next town down stream. He wanted me to look for them on my horse. Which I did but they were too far on the river for me to see them with fences stopping my riding.Later I learned they were safe and back home. Mona and the boy moved off again. Jack took up residence in the ancient store building and daily waved down anyone going toward town and the beer joints for a ride. A growing craving for alcohol and not eating right or often affected Jack badly. One evening he went into a Mexican family's home helping himself to the fridge. The burly man of the house drove up about that time and kicked Jack out the door into the hard gravel road. Jack went to the old store. Come back with a rifle in both hands. Mexican fired a shotgun over his head. Scared Jack. He ran into parked car, fell down dropped and broke the stock on one of the rifles and dropped the other. Poor Jack was without his family and his health was really going downhill. He sit on the commode in the old store building...the floor fell through due to termites and water standing under the floor. Jack didn't live long after that. The tragedy is that as a young man JACK held so much promise and good looks to end up in such a wasted sad state. This is a true story and I hope it serves as a lesson for others to live in a decent manner pleasing to the Lord. JD
J D
- Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at 13:06:21 (CST)

BY TH GREAT AND GORY GIZZARD OF A GOAT!!! Reckon a cowpoke could sell ticks on eBay? I spent one summer picking ole Doc the cowdog clean and left a couple coffee cans plumb full somewhere around JDs place. JD you still got my cans of ticks and that old snake skin in your fridge? Thanks Lefty and JD for the setting us straight on state legislatures and herding us on over to The Corral! Howdy from KOREA!!
John Bedwell
- Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 05:11:48 (CST)

SKIPPING THROUGH TIME: "Tragedy in Prickly Pearville" PART 3. Mona also took up some light housekeeping for elderly persons around the area and worked certain days at small grocery store nearby. One evening as I was driving on the back road from feeding cows, I saw smoke. Mona had been burning store trash in the barrel. Some flaming papers blew out causing the dry buffel grass to ignite into a growing grassfire. I stopped grabbed a tow/feed sack. Wet it in a bucket and beat the flames till I nearly croaked on the hot smoke. Mona was frozen in fear. Anyhow I got it put out saving the old store and outbuildings from diaster. Meanwhile some Mexican ranch people took in Jack. Feeding him and keeping him busy with odd jobs around the ranch. After several weeks, Jack made it back to the old farm homeplace. To his horror, the electricity had been long shut off due to non-payment. Hot summertime and a freezer filled with deer, catfish and wild hog meat...makes a mighty putrid rotten overpowering smell.... <<<< CONTINUED LATER>>>>
J D
- Monday, January 17, 2011 at 18:52:41 (CST)

TRAGEDY IN PRICKLY PEARVILLE Part 2; Skipping through Time; A son was born to Jack and Mona during this time. Jack continued to abuse alcohol. That Lone Star and Pearl beer had him by the yang yang! The late night game poaching got worse. Must have been selling the meat. One night when I was staying at an old farmhouse and sat out in the moonlight taking a dip of snuff, I heard a rifle shot in the distance. In a matter of minutes I reconized Jack's old car driving fast with lights off as he zoomed by and across the cattleguard he went in hot pursuit of a wounded deer that got away. Of course he thought we were all sound asleep and would never notice. Mona was so distressed with all this drinking and late night antics, she had a nervous breakdown. She left with the baby boy for parts unknown to me for several years. When she returned, she moved into a small old drug store building in Prickly Pearville. Had a short order/hamburger type 'cafe' thing run by herself. Meanwhile Jack got worse in his drinking etc.etc.. The sheriff took his driving license. Not to be deprived of a way to buy beer, he wired a big wash tub on the towbars of the old family tractor. Off to town he went....and become pretty well plastered before he made the 12 miles back. A driver reported him conked out in the ditch with tractor sitting on the highway with a half tub of Lone Star tied on back... <<< CONTINUED LATER>>>>>
J D
- Monday, January 17, 2011 at 10:32:55 (CST)

Below is Part One of Tragedy in Prickly Pearville. hopefully continued soon.
J D
- Saturday, January 15, 2011 at 22:01:17 (CST)

SKIPPING THROUGH TIME: A TRADGEDY IN PRICKLY PEARVILLE---EDitor's note..(Names have been changed to keep me from getting my butt kicked.) The depression era was still in full swing. Country boys and some hardy country gals could bring in nice catfish and pop a deer with that ol'Stevens Favorite .22 on one of the many miles of back dirt rural roads for the family meals."Round these parts, it was the cotton patch or the oil patch with very little else to bring in some cash. Jack was a fine looking tall young man that wowed 'em on the school lot baseball games. Showing some fine skill and promise. A hard worker since he could walk. But Jack run around with some rough ol' drinking boys and got started hitting the homebrew that seemed to be the exciting little secret adventure going around. Jack married a fine gal and started trying to make ends meet on the old home farm way off in the middle of the county away from most every one and thing. Steadly the drinking took hold of Jack and rolling a cigaret constantly when a drink wasn't readily handy. I remember once he had the old truck loaded with cotton and on the way to market....a tossed out cigaret butt caught the load ablaze. Jack was lucky to escape with his life.
J D
- Saturday, January 15, 2011 at 17:55:46 (CST)

SKIPPING THROUGH TIME: It's the 1950s, there I am a skinny teen with the most horrible case of Acne pimples covering every inch of my face and neck and wearing big thick nearsighted glasses that feel like they weigh a pound. Forced to go a bigger school than I was used to. Pushed around like cattle in an auction ring my teen mind thought. I HATED SCHOOL!!! Much rather be drifting along in an old homemade boat on the lazy ole Frio river..expecting adventure on every bend! At school the pretty girls ONLY like foorball "heroes"...and Rock 'n Roll singers. So that makes pimpleface skinnies like me 'non persons'. Anyhow that was my mindset at the time. Now we all are stuck in the gym. Crowded in the bleachers because HE is goining to do his latest R 'n R number! He looks like a cross between James Dean and Elvis..OF ALL THE LUCK! Can't really hear his singing and guitar beating...the pony-tailed, poodle skirt wearing girls are so LOUD! NOW FAST FORWARD IN TIME 50 PLUS YEARS. It's 2006. My friend and I enter a little Mexican cafe for breakfast tacos & coffee. My friend can see better than me says "Remember ol'Ace? There he is sitting in the corner." "Let's go sit with him and bullshit awhile" he says. We shake hands with the man. Ace smiles and asks"How are you doing , Johnny?. Which I was completely surprised he even knew who I was. I notice time has taken quite atoll on this former Rocker. He is only a couple years older than me but lost most his hair. Still some of the old 50s styling left. His looks like a whole passel of health problems have got hold of this man.In the course of conversation, I find he had a job reading meters, gauging wells etc, most his life. I mention the rocking stage shows he was in. He laughs "Yeah, we THOUGHT we were pretty good!" Seems the music was long ago given up for a more stable income being married and all. He asks me what I did all them 50 or so years that went by. "I was a cowboy " I replied. He says in amazement " You had a ROUGH LIFE!!" Time goes by. A few weeks later I see his funeral notice on that same Mexican cafe door. Funny how things happen. Glad I got to visit Ace and I felt he admired the cowboy aspect of my life a little. (Ace is not his real name.)
J D
- Saturday, January 08, 2011 at 11:48:53 (CST)

Hard to realize CHRISTMAS is history so soon. Mother used to have a decorated tree up the last week of November. She loved Christmas. Up untill a couple years ago I at least put the colorful cards I got on display. But I found I could have them up untill March..and not a soul would see them. So why bother any more. Although I attended a couple local parties, not a soul visited here in the 2 or 3 week period of Holidays. To honor my dad"s side of the family, I called a aunt in San Antonio. After about one minute of conversation she says "Well, nice talking to you." and hung up. I can promise I will never call the lady again. Hope you folks have had better Holidays than me.
J D
- Friday, January 07, 2011 at 18:40:13 (CST)

Happy NEW YEAR! Had very good church service in Calliham this morning. Mr. Weldon Harris & wife dropped by and he was our preacher for this sunday( our regular pastor moved off to Orlando, Fla.) Guess I started the New Year off in fine style. The mare needed doctoring, has ugly wound in chest area. Might be a small caliber bullet wound. I looked around, found a plastic squirt bottle of iodine or as we used to call it "monkey blood". Very old bottle of medicine. Gave mare a piece of hard Christmas candy as I tied a half hitch on her neck. Aimed bottle at wound..squeezed..BLAMM! It burst open scaring mare. Had to hang on rope to stop her. Had both hands covered with the dang red liquid, my shirt and hat brim spattered with it. Red spots all over mare's neck and a tiny drop on the wound. So hope the rest of the year isn't such a goofy mess as this! If so I better stay in bed....
J D
- Sunday, January 02, 2011 at 15:23:48 (CST)

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