We're going to shove the drugs up the nose of the gringos, and they're not even going to realize it.
- Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández
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| Wikipedia |
The cynic in me wonders if perhaps pardons are for sale.
While out of town earlier this month to chase pheasants in South Dakota I couldn't help but notice all the corn in eastern South Dakota and all across Minnesota. Mile upon mile of standing corn, silage bags stuffed with hundreds of yards of corn and so much corn that the elevators have nowhere to go with it resulting in monstrous corn mountains and sometimes covered with a blue tarp.
No wonder corn prices are hitting the skids; US farmers are simply too efficient for their own good.
And I guess the problem extends to here too. From WFRV in Green Bay there is this:
While they don't ordinarily coexist - peacefully anyway - along with the usual coyotes I have fox.
Day and night...
This evening’s dinner is brought to you courtesy of a half breast (all four pounds) of my spring turkey kill. We split a big yam and served it up with homemade dressing and gravy overall.
I don't harbor any large grievances. I have a few minor issues but they're basically trivial in the grand scheme of things.
I have a great deal to be thankful-for. My family, my friends, a comfortable retirement, a terrific community and the great outdoors. I am in reasonably good health (for an old man), I still have my marbles and a seemingly unlimited supply of firewood.Anybody who follows my musings on the blog or knows me personally also knows that I never served in the military. Nevertheless, that universal fact does not disqualify me from having an opinion on military matters that are of interest to me or in the news.
This business of following orders has risen to the level of discussion here a couple of times already. April 21, 2024 and, again on August 31, 2025.
This week, there was a kerfuffle over Democratic lawmakers reminding the military to refuse illegal orders. Between you and me I think they were trolling the president and, predictably, he rose to the bait.
All of this melodrama about sedition, treason and death by hanging is gonna bump-up against the First Amendment; you know, that business about freedom of speech. Besides, everyone knows that the video was only addressing (without defining) an obligation to defy illegal orders.
I am told that, generally speaking, orders are presumed to be lawful and that a service member who disobeys a potentially questionable order does so at their own peril. The final determination of an order's lawfulness is ultimately a question of law decided-upon by a military judge in a court-martial. That is a high bar.
A critical tenet of U.S. and international military law, established by principles like those from the Nuremberg Trials, is that "just following orders" is not a valid defense for committing crimes. Service members have an affirmative obligation to refuse orders that are "patently illegal" or "manifestly unlawful".
The US Navy has cancelled the majority of the Constellation-class frigate program; a decision announced by Navy Secretary John Phelan on November 25, 2025.
The first two ships, the future USS Constellation and USS Congress, which are under construction at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Wisconsin, will be completed. The remaining four ships that were under contract have been canceled.
Perfect timing for the Thanksgiving Holiday.
This year’s Deer Camp is the 30th Anniversary Edition. That’s not nearly as long as my neighbors multi-generational traditions but as a latecomer to big game hunting it’s fine by me.
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| Brandy from the land of my birth |
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| Bobby’s homemade smoked Hungarian sausage |
This was followed by venison chili dogs and Lawyer's gourmet venison bolognese.
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| My infamous homemade navy bean soup built upon a foundation of Marchant’s smoked pork hocks. |
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| Jägermeister. Ja! |
Raw beef and onions on marble rye and a half a dozen kinds of cheese, sourdough bread, French baguettes and washed it down with adult beverages from the peninsula stretching all the way to Europe.
The humble hard boiled egg
is the perfect deer stand snack you can fit in the pocket of your parka.
Thanks guys for another hunt in the record books…..
In the corner of the garage while tidying-up for winter was this.
The skeletal remains of a tree frog.
How do I know?
Dissection of frogs in biology classes.
The quarter laid next to it is for scale.
Medical examiner rules tree frog. Cause of death; lost and subsequently perished by natural causes.....
Yes; 30 years of chasing deer. Can you believe it? The Deer Camp is celebrating a Thirtieth Anniversary.
Even the bear is getting in the game.
Cleaning-up and getting things ready for winter The Missus fetched the cushions from the chairs on the porch and stored them in the garage.
Some mouse is going to be pissed about his stash of seeds and a mother lode of an acorn being swept-up in fall chores...
By the time you read this post we'll be afield and attempting to fill some deer tags. Here are some additional digital images of the local boy whitetails...
Yo!
Deer Camp Pals....
Been perusing some older digital photos in the collection and came
across this one. It was taken during a rain-sodden deer camp in
November of 2005.
The perspective is looking west out of the second floor blue bedroom.
Except for low-light conditions there was no way a whitetail could sneak
across this stretch of territory without being vulnerable.
Twenty years later - not so much. It's some dandy permanent cover out there nowadays. A real forest...
In the Roman Catholic tradition of the Christian faith there is Saint Hubert. Hubertus or Hubert was the first bishop of Liège in 708 AD. A patron of metalworkers, mathematicians and opticians he is considered the patron saint of hunters, archers and hunting dogs.
Born into nobility in 656 Hubert was raised in the Catholic faith yet was not particularly devout. His interests were primarily mastery of those skills and weapons of the time that would benefit his interest in hunting and as a mounted soldier. Moreover, as a member of the privileged class seeking other worldly pleasures.
Hubert married a woman named Floribonne who tragically died after the birth of their son Floribert. Hubert was grief-stricken, confused and so angry with God that he turned from the faith that his wife had sought to rekindle to focus on secular pursuits.
His devotion was to the hunt and not to God.
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| Prague |
As a consequence, Hubert renounced all claim to titles and wealth, turning everything over to his younger brother including the custody of his son. Hubert became a student under Lambert of Maastricht and was eventually ordained a priest.
Hubert evangelized the Ardennes Forest region - inspiring Christians and converting pagans. His title became Apostle of the Ardennes. Following Lambert's death Hubert was appointed bishop of Maastricht and later first bishop of Liège.
Hubert died of natural causes in 727. His legacy of hunting ethics and fair chase continues to this day in the rigorous and extensive hunter education courses of many European countries.
And if you look carefully, on every bottle of Jägermeister you will find this...
A couple of days before deer camp a hunter's wife puts her foot down and
tells him he has to stay home and whittle down his honey-do list of
chores.
The fella's friends are upset and understandably disappointed that he
cannot join them at camp. Alas, they are powerless to do anything about
it. Two days later the crew has gathered at deer camp. A fire is
stoked in the wood burner. Blaze orange bibs and parkas are hung in the
fresh air on the porch. Even the boots toe the line. Firearms are
carefully stacked on the gun rack at the back door. Bunks are claimed
and everyone is enjoying a refreshing adult beverage and shooting the
bull in the testosterone-infused atmosphere.
Suddenly the dogs bark as the door from the garage opens and the heretofore grounded hunter materializes.
Dang dude! How did you manage to talk your wife into letting you go?
Sidling-up to the kitchen counter and opening a beer the hunter explains...
This morning I was sitting in my chair feeling poorly when my wife came up behind me.
She put her hands over my eyes and said - 'guess who?' I pulled her
hands away and was surprised to see she was wearing a flimsy negligee
from Victoria's Secret.
A collective gasp emanates from the group as the hunter continues.
Then she took my hand and pulled me over to our bedroom. The room had
candles and rose petals all over. On the bed she had handcuffs. There
were ropes too. She told me to tie and handcuff her to the bed.
Another collective gasp from the rapt audience.
You know I follow directions - so I did what she told me to do. Then she said - 'Do whatever you want.'
So, here I am.....
Fast Fact: This year is the thirtieth anniversary of our deer camp. Huzzah!
Co-written by Bob Dylan and Ketch Secor of the Old Crow Medicine Show - Dylan recorded the chorus in 1973 and Secor added the verses 25 years after the fact. This version of the song was certified Platinum in 2013.
Great music knows no boundaries. CMT Crossroads shows the far-reaching roots of country music by pairing country artists with musicians from other genres. Each episode will feature a different set of stars playing together, swapping stories and sharing their common love of music.
A reprise from last week's selection; Kesha and Old Crow Medicine Show collaboration on a country classic - Wagon Wheel....
Godfrey C. Danchimah Jr. (born July 21, 1969), known as Godfrey, is an American comedian and actor who has appeared in multiple venues to numerous to list.
Enjoy this YouTube Short....
Since Wisconsin's annual gun deer season is nigh-upon us it seems fitting to post some images of the local boys...
Pretty good chow if you can get it…
Several weeks ago the Missus and I were out for a walk and found an active deer scrape near a trail camera. Naturally, the camera was aimed away from the scrape. It was a small matter to rotate the cam on the tree in the general direction of the scrape.
This cam is located just south of the middle guard tower.
Last weekend I uploaded some photos from that cam to review who was visiting. I took the first pic a couple of days ago when out with the dog to provide a sense of orientation. Date and time stamps are visible.
The scrape is the darker patch in the turf located in front of the dog and slightly to her left - centered near the bottom of the photo.
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