Autumn

Autumn

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Bits and Pieces

This is the fourth day I've been without the company of my lovely Sweet Wife. Sure is quiet around here. She should be home tomorrow. Since her departure I've lost myself in books.

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I've made great progress on the rusty ammunition. I still have a few pieces of the 7.62x39 left then will move on to the 9x19.

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I lost my oldest Rosemary plant to the flood. Ticks me off. I'm down to one plant. I was out in the yard yesterday and found it dead. Rosemary hates wet roots. I love to cook as much as I love to shoot, so I view this loss like the thief of a favorite rifle.


Since I've mentioned rifles I need to break open the gunsafe and clean my M1A and take her out to the range and strain her barrel. I've haven't fired her in quite a long time. I'm certain she misses me.


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I hear rain. Its a soothing sound on an early Sunday morning. Here I am with a good cup of coffee, my Sunday newspaper, and a very quiet house, and the gentle sound of rain. Perfect if you're a hermit. I can even hear my stomach growl. Guess I should eat breakfast.

Back in the day my mother always made the same breakfast. Bacon and eggs served with grits, and if we were very lucky, redeye gravy and biscuits the size of your fist. Those biscuits were flaky and soft as an angles breast, and I'd drench mine with butter. I'd cut my biscuit in half and place two slices of folded bacon in the middle.

Lord I miss her. I haven't eaten a decent breakfast since I was seventeen years old.

When I was about twelve I'd fantasize I was a cowboy with a saddlebag filled with my mother's bacon biscuits and a canteen of sweet iced-tea. This childhood dream always ended with me riding down that lonely western trail with a grin of happiness. I mean, what cowboy wouldn't be happy with a saddlebag filled with bacon and biscuits as his pony trotted towards adventure.

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I read in the paper this morning that the author, James Lee Burke, has just published a new novel, Creole Belle. I haven't read a Burke novel in quite a long time and think I'll order this one in hardcover. I've mentioned before, on this blog, I'm not a fan of his politics but I do like and enjoy his writing style.

He's the best prose stylist this country has seen in many years. Just an FYI.


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Next weekend we have a gunshow in town.  One of my friends asked if I'd attend. Not sure. I'd like to but he forgets I must work for a living and my shop is open on Saturdays, the best day in my humble opinion, to attend the show. Then again, I might sneak down on Sunday. Deals are to be had on Sunday it's just the good stuff has been sold.

Besides, I always spend far too much cash when I attend. I always walk the show with little things in mind, like spare parts, or books.

I collect the works of Ragnar Benson. Gunshows are great places to fill any hole in your Benson collection. He appeals to those of us in the gun culture. If you haven't read his books, well, shucks, I feel sorry for you. He's not the best writer in the world but when your books are banned in California and other liberal jackass states you must be doing something right to piss off the government wussies.

As I've said, many of his books have been banned and many are out of print. His early works were published in low numbers and as a result demand high prices. I have many holes in my Benson collection. Then again I've duplicate copies too so if any of you out there have this habit and own a few Benson books and need one - give me a yell and we'll swap.

I had a guy once tell me he's deathly afraid to have any copy of Ragnar's books in his home, mostly due to the subject matter. I asked him to leave my presence. I don't suffer fools easily.


Anyway, if you're man enough, find a copy and spend an afternoon with a real man. Any of his books will do to bring you back into the club.

Later.

Stephen

26 comments:

  1. That book cover is awesome. I love the art! Sounds like something I should add to my reading list, though summer reading has been cut short with me taking summer classes. School is just about all I have time for.

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  2. Sorry about the rosemary, by the way.

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    1. KW, you'd enjoy his novels. They are set in your neck of the woods. Yeap, I'll miss my old rosemary. Thanks, sweet one.

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  3. Normally I would be echoing your first paragraph- I've been on the road for 2 weeks now, but this year I was able to persuade The Woman to come over for a little sightseeing while things are still calm here in London...
    (Very rare to get her to come along... Like 3 time in 15 years?)
    It's nice to come back to the hotel after a long day and find her there- I get to hear all the places she visited that day, then we look through her pictures.
    She's heading out Wed- then I have 4-and-change weeks of missing her before heading home to good food, family, my motorcycle and recoil therapy.

    Based on your description I need to find some of Benson's books...
    I bet they'd drive the nanny state boneheads over here into apoplexy.
    Woo hoo.

    Take care-

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    1. Thanks, Bubba...you will like the books. Its almost as much fun to find them as they are to read. Have fun.

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  4. dear sweet one - i would kill for some of your Mom's biscuits and bacon!!! i finally caved and made some throw-together chili and it tastes just like i threw it together! i am sorry about your poor rosemary - that sucks! as for Benson, i've only had the good fortune to read a few of his books while down in the states, he's banned up here. crazy, eh? how many do you have?

    anyway, i hope Sweet Wife had a good weekend. your friend,
    kymber

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    1. kymber, I sure do miss my mother's biscuits. She never used a recipe, just a pinch of this and touch of that and they always came out the same way.
      I do not know off the top of my head how many Benson books I own, but many for sure. Thanks, my dear.

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  5. I covet your M1A, that's a beaut. One day I will have one of my own.
    There are many authors that I would disagree with politically but still like their works. I had not heard of Ragnar Benson, I will have to correct that deficiency.

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    1. Larry, that's a file photo of an M1A. I just don't have a photo of mine to use. Mine isn't much different. You'll like Ragnar, he's a hoot. Thanks, my friend.

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  6. Always said breakfast can be 2 or 3 of the most important meals of the day.

    I'll have to keep my eye for anything by Burke. Always enjoy a well written book.

    Haven't seen a Benson book in forever. Too bad. I've got quite a collection of books that have been banned in one place or the other. Really hate people who are scared of ideas.

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    1. We agree, my friend, not only on breakfast but people afraid of books and ideas...thanks.

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  7. In 1977 I ordered "The Anarchist Cookbook" at a local bookstore. After a few weeks I got the call that it was in. When I went to the store the young lady behind the counter got the book for me and was all upset and declared a book like that should be banned. I chuckled and told her how ironic it was for a book store employee to want to ban books. She didn't get it, I guess she thinks knowledge is to be feared.

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    1. The young lady is an idiot...like many liberals. I have a copy of the 'cookbook' too. Its about as dangerous as a baby's blanket. Thanks, my friend.

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    2. Right you are Stephen. I just ran across my copy of the cookbook and took a new look at it. It is so out of date today it set me giggling anew at all the fools in the world.

      Benson IS a treat!

      Winston

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  8. Never heard of Ragnar Benson - will have to do some searching around. But to be honest I can't believe that any book is banned in this day and age !?!

    Sorry to hear about your Rosemary too :(

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  9. UPDATE - wow there's heaps of his books on ebay ... now which one to choose ...

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    1. Any, Julie...he wrote many, some now very rare.

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  10. They're also available in eBook form from Amazon ... wonder how they enforce the "Cali" ban?

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    1. Paladin Press offers his works too. Not all his books are banned, just certain ones. Like, 'How to make homemade c-4,' or 'Homemade Detonators,' or Homemade Flamethrowers.' Thanks, Julie.

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  11. Replies
    1. Indeed. Just think how well a restaurant that specialized in nothing but bacon biscuits would do in todays economic turmoil. Thanks, my friend.

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  12. Another Dave Robichaeux novel.

    Excellent!

    Can't wait to get my hands on it.

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    1. Ah, a man that knows his books...see, I knew we thought alike..thanks, my good friend.

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  13. Love the Robichaeux novels, although I've read them thoroughly out of order. Best part - waiting to see what the human wrecking machine called Clete will do.

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    1. Sorry for the late reply, PP. I too like ole Clete. Thanks, my friend.

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