Greybeards Gripes

Today I looked back over some of my archives.  Some of them are junk,  some are pretty good reading.   It’s funny how your blog can keep a bit of personal history for you.  I also updated the header to be similar to my original header.  (Blue and Green,  my old Kawasaki KDX colors).

Looking back,  brought thoughts of IGOGG .  Things have changed,  but one thing remains the same.   Thank You, Mr. Grey,  for hosting all these years.  Where’s Blu Hatter?  It was occasionally fun to disagree.

Finally,  not a “Flashback”,  but very interesting.

A while back I wrote about a book I was looking into.  A book that was supposed to have a photo of my Great-Great Grandfather.   It’s called “Badmen of the Old West” by Robert Elman.  I found it at an online antique book seller,  and sure enough Granpa Billy was in there on page 149,  just like my Dad was told years ago.    There’s not a lot about him other than this picture of him,  (Wild Bill Ellis,  in the center), and his two fellow Deputy U.S. Marshalls (for the Arkansas Territories),  Wess Bowman on the left and John Tolbert on the right.  John  and Bill are both holding Winchesters,  while Wes is holding a Henry.  They all have Colt single actions on their belts and Bill has the cartridge loops on his belt full of rifle ammo. (suggesting to me that the revolver was mainly for quick, close up work and that unless they moved their holsters around front for the photo,  they didn’t do much work on horseback).  Great Granpa Bill actually looks a lot like (or the other way around),  my Uncle Billy Ellis,  who was GGpa’s Grandson. 

I have a story or two about him passed down by word of mouth,  and I plan to get them posted here in the future,  along with any other tidbits I might find in the book.

About 15 years ago,  my Father decided to take a drive out to some wooded property we owned,  just to check things out.  Dad was in his early 70’s at the time,  but still pretty spry. 

When Dad pulled into the properties long driveway,  he noticed that entry to the back of the property was blocked by an old truck, half full of firewood.    He parked his truck at the end of the driveway, blocking the other truck in,  and stuck his little Ruger .22 Single Six into his waist band.  He walked down the hill to the old truck and heard a chainsaw start up.  When he got to the truck he could see a 35 to 40 year old man in the process of cutting down, -another-, nice 8 inch  Oak tree.  Dad waited until the thief shut off the saw and from behind him,  said,   “Did you know you’re on private property?   The man dropped the saw and whirled around,  yelling,  “Yeah,  I can read the signs,  but I need firewood and you have it,  what ‘cha gonna do about it??”"  Dad was a quiet man,  a veteran WWII combat infantryman.  Dad’s response ,all 128 lbs of him, was to hook his thumbs in his belt,  close to the butt of the Ruger,  and say,  “Well,  I guess I’m going to watch you unload that truck,  then back mine out of your way, so you can get the hell out of here.”  The thief eye’d my Dad,  and eyed the butt of the Ruger near his hand.  He had no idea that it was a only .22 caliber gun,  nor that Dad could still pick a squirrel out of a tree at 50 yards with it.  Even though he was nearly twice Dad’s size, and half his age.  He evidently didn’t like the steely glare that Dad was directing at him and being and honest theif,  :-),  he decided to unload the truck and take his leave.  We never found out who he was, though we assumed he was a local,  but we never saw him again. And, I built a house in that woods later that year,  and lived there for nigh on to 20 years.

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AuGres River mini-report:  6pm on Monday, Feb. 4,  upriver of the bridge,  the ice is breaking up.  It’s still pretty solid looking a way’s down river,  but it’s currently 35 degree’s and RAINING!  Looks like more bad news for the ice fishing.

I just finished ordering a book by,  Elman, Robert. BAD MEN OF THE WEST. [THE LIVES AND TIMES OF RENEGADES, BANDITS, RUSTLERS, AND GUNFIGHTERS WHO MADE THE WILD WEST.

My father told me a long time ago, that his Grandfather was listed in this book,  but we were never able to find it.  Crediting the wonders of the Internet,  (this is my third try to find the book via the Internet),  supposedly I’ve finally connected with a seller who has the book,  Q.M. Dabney & Co. .

I’m interested to see what the author has to say about my Great Grandfather,  “Wild Bill Ellis”.  My Dad was always under the impression that he was a rough and tumble lawman.  If there’s any good info about Great Grandpa Ellis,,   I’ll do a later post on him.  NOTE:  As far as I know, no relation to Wild Bill Hickok, of Ellis County.

AuGres River Ice Report: It’s been very cold for at least 72 hours.  4 days ago,  the river was open.

Today,  1-21-08,  at 4pm,  there are around 3 to 3.5 inches of clear blue ice,  out about 15 ft from shore.  I wasn’t ready to go any farther out to deeper water and current,   make your own choices.

Ammo Ordered:  Sellier and Bellot 147 gr. .308,  13.23 a box,and Greek manufactured 30.06 M-2 ball from 1988,  6.39 a box,  from www.cheaperthandirt.com.   I didn’t plan or ordering anything until at least early spring,  but it looks like this might be the last chance to beat the big price increases on ammo.

Here it is in it’s entirety.  NEMCOG is one of the organizations behind build non-motorized trail systems in Michigan.  Grates on my Nerves a bit!

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As noted by my nickname,  I’ve been around awhile.   I’ve been here long enough to have been and avid motorcycle trail rider in my youth,  before the anti crowd got ahold of the sport and ruined it.  Over the years I watched as various long standing motorcycle trails were closed,  graded and seeded.  Strangely enough,  the ones that were just closed,  and left alone,  have dissappearred as completly as those of which a bunch of money was spent to return them to their natural order.

I’ve even noted where old barely visable  (barely visable, translates to: a single track trail,  about 10 inches wide on the ground,  with 30 clearance between the tree’s at handle bar height.) , motorcycle trails were closed and reseeded,  now the ground is being torn up again,  this time for non-motorized vehicle trails,  or just to widen the road right of ways.

It seems to me that a whole culture of Michigan trail riders,  was destroyed for little or no reason,  other than those in power didn’t understand what the sport was all about.   Some might argue that the sport continues today better than ever,,,   I respond with the knowledge that there are almost ZERO single track, natural motorcycle trails left in Michigan and (maybe even very few left in the United States, since Michigan was always Nirvana for trail riders).

I don’t really have a problem with your building of non motorized trails.   But,  from what I can see of their use in our area,  I do have a problem with my tax dollars being used to build them.  Bags of dollars being spent to build a paved trail,  right next to the State highway.  A few locals and an ocassional event,  otherwise they look real nice, with their empty smooth black top, spit rail fences,  and wooden bridges over the gullies.  (Of course,  that view would only be true for someone who prefers 10 ft wide blacktop, over a 10 inch wide dirt or sand trail).

The most exciting times of my younger years,  and my childrens,  were those 100 plus mile long rides on those 10 inch wide trails,  through country that only experienced motorcycle trail riders,  and a few hardy hunters had ever seen.  We often went all day without seeing a car,  or a road, (other than occasional road crossings).  We saw wild life galore, (very unafraid of our bikes).   I know time is  a changing thing,  and everything has changed,  but that doesn’t make it right.

I doubt that my bad knee’s will ever feel the surface of one of your trails.  If I do feel up to walking,  it will be in the woods,  hopefully tight woods, behind a good bird dog,  not on a paved trail.  But then,  who knows,  maybe that will be outlawed too.

It’s makes me rather sad to think about what the people of Michigan have lost,  what they have traded away,  and sold.  More than often the trades were bad,  and the sales were way to cheap.

Greybeard
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http://greybeard.igogg.com

“Is fear rith maith ná drochsheasamh ,
Sláinte chugat”

I had to type these,  so here they are:

Chocolate Pinwheels, (double batch)

1 c butter, 3.5 c flour1.5 c suger, 1 tsp baking powder 4 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp salt2 eggs, (2) 1oz sq. unsweeted Choc. (melted)

2 c Crunchy Peanut Butter, 2 sticks Oleo, 5 c powder sugar, 1 tsp Vanilla.Mix above, form into balls.

Melt 1 pkg. 12 oz Chocolat chips

(a half bar of wax has been deleted from this recipe) 

Dip balls in chocolat, Let dry.

Pumpkin Roll

1 tsp Vanilla, 3 eggs, 2 t. cinnamon, 1 cup sugar,1 tsp Vanilla, 3 eggs, 2 t. cinnamon, 1 cup sugar,1 t. ginger, 2/3 cup pumpkin, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg1 tsp Vanilla, 3 eggs, 2 t. cinnamon, 1 cup sugar,1 t. ginger, 2/3 cup pumpkin, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg3/4 C. flour, 1/2 t. salt, 1 t. baking powers

1 tsp Vanilla, 3 eggs, 2 t. cinnamon, 1 cup sugar,1 t. ginger, 2/3 cup pumpkin, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg3/4 C. flour, 1/2 t. salt, 1 t. baking powersOptional: 1/2 C. ground pecans.

Beat Eggs until fluffy and add sugar, pumpkin, lemon juice and

remaining ingred. Mix well, turn out onto greased pan, (15×10)

Bake 15 min. @375 degrees, Cool 15 min..

Sprinkle powdered sugar on a towel and turn cake out onto it .

Sprinkle sugar over it too. Roll up and let cool.

Unroll and spread with filling, then reroll and refridgerate.

Slice and server.

Filling: 1 box cream cheese, 4 tble spns butter, 1 cup sugar,

1 cup chopped pecans, 1/2 tsp vanilla.

Roll is sometime easier to slice if frozen first.

Sugar Cookies

cooking time: 8-10 minutes temp. 375 degreescooking time: 8-10 minutes temp. 375 degrees1 C butter, 1 C sugar, 3 eggs, 1.5 tsp vanilla, 3.5 C sifted all purpose flour,cooking time: 8-10 minutes temp. 375 degrees1 C butter, 1 C sugar, 3 eggs, 1.5 tsp vanilla, 3.5 C sifted all purpose flour,2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt.

cooking time: 8-10 minutes temp. 375 degrees1 C butter, 1 C sugar, 3 eggs, 1.5 tsp vanilla, 3.5 C sifted all purpose flour,2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt.Cream butter and sugar well, Beat in eggs and vanilla.

Gradually blend in flour, baking powder and salt, which have been sifted together.

Chill dough at least 3 hrs or overnight. Roll dough out on lightly floured pastry canvas with a stokinette covered rolling pin, to 1/8 to 1/4 in. thickness.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet . Bake.

Note: this suger cookie reipe may be put through a press, but to not chill

the dough. Yeilds 6 dozen

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If these don’t look right,  it’s because I’ve been having a heck of a time, getting the format to copy from Wordpad,  to the blog. 

Happy Holidays,  GB