Killin' Time

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            Cancer - - Chemotherapy - - Alligators !

 

            Last Sunday I was killin’ time.  Tired, but trying to keep active.  At about 1 pm I decided to make run down to the Brazos River to where I have one of those game cameras set up.  That game camera, to me, is more fun than hunting.  I love to see all the different kinds a wildlife that cross the area.  I had 24 pictures, but I left it set, deciding to take the little digital card out later when there were more pictures.  I baited the path with some molasses and deer corn.  On the way back, as always, I observed what kind of shore birds were hanging out at the swamp.  Wood Storks, Night Herons, Great Blue Herons, Pink Spoonbills (see photo on the TrueToTexas website), and many more.  Now, I’ve told ya’ll about the alligators that showed up 8 or 10 years ago.  I guess they climbed out of the Brazos River and decided to set up headquarters in this 20 acre swamp.  See attached photo of one of the alligators.  I took the photo 2 or 3 years ago.  Well, over the years I’ve seen a big nest out on the island.  Wondering why we never saw any baby alligators?  You know, I’ve heard that other alligators, maybe ever the father, will eat the babies.  And I figured in this enclosed area they just always hunted down the babies and ate them.  Well, it’s about 1:30 pm and I look at the alligator nest out there on the island.  Something is real white at the top.  I wonder if that is part of an alligator egg?  I want to explore, but c’on, PIC line hooked to my arm, full of chemo, and getting dead tired.  I head to the house.  Hell, its nap time.

            4:30 pm Sunday, I can’t sleep.  Tom, I may be fighting cancer, but I am a bayou boy.  The call of the wild.  I’ve got to investigate that alligator nest.  Should I tell my next of kin?  Where to look for my body if I don’t return by dark.  I tell High School Girlfriend.  I have a choice, either Leslie’s canoe or a 10 foot jon boat.  I choose the jon boat and loaded in the back of my pick-up.  I back the pick-up up to the bank of the swamp right across from the alligator’s nest.  I need to conserve energy.  This way I can just paddle right across to the nest.  I see the alligator 30 feet north.  Just her eyes.  She is just laying there submerged.  I drop the jon boat off into the water.  Get the paddle and a shovel in case I want to dig out the nest.  ACROSS the short span to the island and the nest.  When I approach the island bank I see about 20 baby 5 inch alligators right off the bank in a canal used by the alligators to get to the nest.  I reach down and grab two baby alligators at once.  They all start making some little chirping noise.  ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE !  They say they are fast, believe them.  I thought that mama alligator was flying.  She hit that jon boat with an impact that knocks my camera off my neck and into the bottom of the boat.  I wasn’t thinking about that camera or taking photos, I was thinking about my appendages.  Next move, mama alligator hits the boat with her tail, I bust the paddle over her back.  Great, now I don’t have a paddle.  Well, across the swamp by shovel power.  Mama alligator seems to be waiting for an opportunity.  Well, I only hit the ground once between the jon boat and the bed of my pick-up.

            Don’t mess with a mama alligator.

            Sunday night I realize that I was lucky I was in that flat bottom jon boat and that it was sitting in mud.  If I would have been in deeper water I’m sure the boat would have capsized.  AND, that my effort may save saved a few babies this year.  Those big Wood Storks and Blue Herons were eating the babies as fast as they could.  Maybe with all the excitement the babies got spread out and a few will survive.

 

Another Texas sunset,

 

 

 

Craig Dickson

craig dickson realty

www.TrueToTexas.com

 

Dixon and his dog, Chester.

Texas Flamingos

Chasing the Texas sunsets

www TrueToTexas.com

 

            Can we talk a little real estate?  Like CLUNKER for down payment.  That’s right !  Hey, if Congress can do it, damn it, I can too.  I just can’t use your money to do it.  I have a beautiful corner lot in Hempstead, Texas.  That lot is just waiting for your home.  The lot is on the market for $9,500.00.   One CLUNKER for the down payment.  The preferred CLUNKER is a nine seater station wagon in good condition.  The balance to be financed over 10 years at 7% interest, not the CLUNKER, the lot.  I don’t give a damn if I sell that lot or not, but I need that nine seater station wagon.  You know, it will be my “Ranch Limousine”   New Listing, 46 acres, Pattison area, right across Clapp road from the famous Sam Wilson Ranch.  The owner may divide.  The taxes are less than $200.00 per year.  This tract of land has lots of potential.  Oh, it is unrestricted.  $9,500.00 per acre.  How about 25 acres behind Brookwood on Bains road?  $15,000.00 per acre.  Owner is motivated.  Let’s write an offer.  If you are looking for a steal,  maybe in Michigan or probably California, but if you are looking for an investment, I’m licensed to sell real estate, in TEXAS.

            Look, if you believe in Houston and you got $800,000.00 to $1,000,000.00 call me, I’ve got a tract of land that I believe will beat your cd rate or Dow Jones investment, unless the Mayans are right and the world is coming to a crashing end December 21, 2012.  Wait, let’s buy it anyway and flip it before the world comes to an end.

            Getting’ Out !  Hey, when you have good days, you got to take advantage.  High School Girlfriend and I made Sengelmann Hall in Schulenburg again.  Marcia Ball Saturday a week ago and “Asleep at the Wheel” last Saturday.  Short story.  They had sold out and it was standing room only.  I’m not going to pay $25.00 a person and stand up, that was 25 years ago.  So, I conned a bartender to go down stairs and bring up two chairs.  When I got those chairs it caused a mini-riot with all those sitting on the floor or standing.  Two BIG bouncers came over to me and said, “Sir we made a mistake and we have to take your chairs back down stairs”.  Either one could have whipped my ass with one hand tied behind them, but I told them to get this chair, from me, there will be a fight.  They looked at each other, they looked at me, and they looked at High School Girlfriend.  I don’t know if it was the idea of having to whip an old man’s ass in front of 300 people, more my age than theirs, or the thought of High School Girlfriend on their back, but they said that they needed to talk with management.  5 minutes later they came back and said enjoy your seat and sorry about the mis-understanding.  We had a ball.  Go to my BLOG at www.TrueToTexas.com and see photos.

            CANCER…  I’m not happy.  The good news is the Chemo hasn’t killed me and the cancer is about the same.  The bad news is, the chemo is working hard on all my body parts and the cancer is about the same.  I wanted to take a 60 days rest from the chemo to build up my immune system again and have a little fun.  Doctor ChemoStein wanted me to start more chemo right away.  His thoughts are that it must be doing some good if it hadn’t grown or spread.  So, so I got depressed, I cried.  Damn it, all you positive thinkers I can’t be on cloud 9 all the time.  Sometimes the thought of what’s ahead of you, just gets to me.  Well, I stalled and I’m starting back on chemo Tuesday August 18^th.  ChemoStein has changed the formula.  Talk about depressing.  Irinotecan and Carboplatin will be pumped into my body every second Tuesday.  Six pages of side effects.  And, the final side effect paragragh is  Sterility!  Great.  And there is a whole section on controlling Diarrhea.  Why  did I read this handout?  I usually wait until a couple days before.

            Below are two photos of Dr. ChemoStein.

            Prayer Warriors, give me strength.

 

Chasing the Texas sunsets,

 

Craig Dickson

craig dickson realty

www.TrueToTexas.com

 

"Asleep at the Wheel"

Hey, damn that chemo, damn that cancer. If I can walk, I can dance. Partying, Texas Style.

Below is High School Girlfriend and Jason Roberts. You talk about fiddle playing and singing. That Lampasas boy below, knows Texas.

Chasing the Texas sunsets,

craig