USMB Coffee Shop IV

[gallantwarrior]

The little one got home late today from school. I wondered what delayed the bus, and figured it was likely some sort of mechanical problem. When she got home, the little one explained that one of the kids from her elementary school brought a gun on the bus. He apparently told some other kids about it, and one of them told the bus driver or a teacher. That led to a delay, naturally, as teachers, police, and "a man in a suit" came to their bus and the child with the gun was taken off.

Thankfully, from the little one's description, it sounds like a young kid showing off rather than any sort of potential shooter situation. I'm not certain how she would have found out, but the little one said the gun was unloaded. It's still not something I like hearing.

Lot's of kids like showing off stuff like this. The fact that there is so much media coverage and adult over reaction when it happens just adds to the cachet and the thrill of danger.

I don't think that schools really feel they can overreact to something like that, and I don't blame them. I certainly don't trust that some random 4th or 5th grader will act safely with a gun on the bus with the little one.

Depends on how the kid's been raised. Although, if the parents have actually taken the time and made the effort to train a child in proper gun safety, they child would not have access to the firearms, and said child would know better than to take a gun to school, or anywhere else. My daughter was very gun safety conscious by the time she was five. She even helped train other kids at the range (under adult supervision). When I was teaching concealed carry classes, she would take down, clean, and reassemble my Colt 1911. But under no circumstances would she have shown off at home, or by removing the guns from the house.
When I refer to over-reaction I mean the so-called zero tolerance where a child will be suspended or expelled for even biting his pop tart into a gun like shape. Common sense seems to go out the window with zero tolerance policies.

 

[Nosmo King]

I saw the first crocuses in bloom today! There they were, all in yellow and white hard against a curbsrone on a street downtown. There must have been just enough warmth from the surrounding hardscape to coax them out and have them blossom.

The maple sugar groves in the county have begun their busy season. Not long ago you could spy gray steel buckets attached to the trunks of the sugar maples. These days, they attach bright blue or yellow plastic hoses leading downhill to the sugar houses. Steam rises from these little sugar shacks where the sap is boiled and condensed forming maple syrup.

Those who know and taste the difference between real maple syrup and factory syrup wil always opt for the former.

 

[Foxfyre]

 

[Foxfyre]

I didn't take it but I thought this was an amazing photo with the storm clouds as a backdrop:

This is 'The King of Wings", one of hundreds of such natural works of art in the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness in the northwestern corner of New Mexico.

Some other shots:

 

[gallantwarrior]

I saw the first crocuses in bloom today! There they were, all in yellow and white hard against a curbsrone on a street downtown. There must have been just enough warmth from the surrounding hardscape to coax them out and have them blossom.

The maple sugar groves in the county have begun their busy season. Not long ago you could spy gray steel buckets attached to the trunks of the sugar maples. These days, they attach bright blue or yellow plastic hoses leading downhill to the sugar houses. Steam rises from these little sugar shacks where the sap is boiled and condensed forming maple syrup.

Those who know and taste the difference between real maple syrup and factory syrup wil always opt for the former.

You see similar set ups here for collecting birch sap to make birch syrup.

 

[Nosmo King]

I saw the first crocuses in bloom today! There they were, all in yellow and white hard against a curbsrone on a street downtown. There must have been just enough warmth from the surrounding hardscape to coax them out and have them blossom.

The maple sugar groves in the county have begun their busy season. Not long ago you could spy gray steel buckets attached to the trunks of the sugar maples. These days, they attach bright blue or yellow plastic hoses leading downhill to the sugar houses. Steam rises from these little sugar shacks where the sap is boiled and condensed forming maple syrup.

Those who know and taste the difference between real maple syrup and factory syrup wil always opt for the former.

You see similar set ups here for collecting birch sap to make birch syrup.

Birch? I’ve never heard of Birch syrup! Where can I get some?

 

[Ringel05]

I saw the first crocuses in bloom today! There they were, all in yellow and white hard against a curbsrone on a street downtown. There must have been just enough warmth from the surrounding hardscape to coax them out and have them blossom.

The maple sugar groves in the county have begun their busy season. Not long ago you could spy gray steel buckets attached to the trunks of the sugar maples. These days, they attach bright blue or yellow plastic hoses leading downhill to the sugar houses. Steam rises from these little sugar shacks where the sap is boiled and condensed forming maple syrup.

Those who know and taste the difference between real maple syrup and factory syrup wil always opt for the former.

You see similar set ups here for collecting birch sap to make birch syrup.

Birch? I’ve never heard of Birch syrup! Where can I get some?

From birch sap........

 

[Ringel05]

Started looking at homes up in northern Rio Rancho at 1:30 then one down in old NW ABQ, great views but small or really old houses. Finally looked in Jade Park next to our old neighborhood and we may have found close to what we're looking for and it's only $139 on a large corner lot. It's in the same area we like and really has little to do other than replace the carpet with Pergo style flooring and some painting.

 

[gallantwarrior]

I saw the first crocuses in bloom today! There they were, all in yellow and white hard against a curbsrone on a street downtown. There must have been just enough warmth from the surrounding hardscape to coax them out and have them blossom.

The maple sugar groves in the county have begun their busy season. Not long ago you could spy gray steel buckets attached to the trunks of the sugar maples. These days, they attach bright blue or yellow plastic hoses leading downhill to the sugar houses. Steam rises from these little sugar shacks where the sap is boiled and condensed forming maple syrup.

Those who know and taste the difference between real maple syrup and factory syrup wil always opt for the former.

You see similar set ups here for collecting birch sap to make birch syrup.

Birch? I’ve never heard of Birch syrup! Where can I get some?

Here's one website. Lot's of other possibilities, too.
Alaska Birch Syrup & Wild Harvest Products | Birch Water, Chaga, Wild Berry Jams.

 

[blackhawk]

 

[williepete]

My first courses in the laws of physics.

 

[Big Black Dog]

Just hauled all the necessary info down to the accountant’s office. Will find out how much freedom and liberty is going to cost me in the next few days. Did I mention that I just love tax season. LOL.

 

[Ringel05]

Well we signed the "initial" contract on the house today, have to see if the seller will accept our terms.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Time grows short here now. There's two flights currently scheduled to depart for Alaska tomorrow. I would rather stretch this visit as long as I can, and I might yet have to wait a couple of days the way Space A travel works. But I do have to get back to my life and keep earning my keep. Just being with my family was nice enough. I have a better idea of how the family dynamics function and although I don't agree with a few things, I keep my mouth shut. My daughter and I have a lot of things in common and the girls are growing up way too fast. While the older girl has ambitions, the younger one is more typical in not having a specific course planned yet. The younger girl loves animals, though, so I might convince her to spend a summer with me once I retire. It would be nice knowing that at least one of the young people would be interested in having the farm eventually.
It's been consistently above freezing at home so I expect the usual breakup mess when I get back. Lots of dirt, wet, and a driveway that could suck the backhoe down and bury it.

 

[Ringel05]

The seller has accepted our offer so now we move on to the inspections and loan finalization.
Also just got home from Albuquerque, wiped out but too sore and too tired to sleep right now not to mention my face hurts, sinus infection. Yes I was at the VA all morning getting it checked out while the wife was in chemo.

 

[Ringel05]

The wife was emotionally fixated on the house across the street from where we used to live, problem is the roof is bad and all the utilities had been removed so even the VA won't touch it with one of their reno loans.

 

[Foxfyre]

The seller has accepted our offer so now we move on to the inspections and loan finalization.
Also just got home from Albuquerque, wiped out but too sore and too tired to sleep right now not to mention my face hurts, sinus infection. Yes I was at the VA all morning getting it checked out while the wife was in chemo.

Hopefully this will be your last major ordeal. Wish there was something more to do than just care.

 

[Ringel05]

The seller has accepted our offer so now we move on to the inspections and loan finalization.
Also just got home from Albuquerque, wiped out but too sore and too tired to sleep right now not to mention my face hurts, sinus infection. Yes I was at the VA all morning getting it checked out while the wife was in chemo.

Hopefully this will be your last major ordeal. Wish there was something more to do than just care.

Thanks but that's more than enough.

 

[peach174]

The seller has accepted our offer so now we move on to the inspections and loan finalization.
Also just got home from Albuquerque, wiped out but too sore and too tired to sleep right now not to mention my face hurts, sinus infection. Yes I was at the VA all morning getting it checked out while the wife was in chemo.

Hopefully this will be your last major ordeal. Wish there was something more to do than just care.

Thanks but that's more than enough.

You have our prayers for both of you, and our support when needed.

 

[gallantwarrior]

The seller has accepted our offer so now we move on to the inspections and loan finalization.
Also just got home from Albuquerque, wiped out but too sore and too tired to sleep right now not to mention my face hurts, sinus infection. Yes I was at the VA all morning getting it checked out while the wife was in chemo.

Fingers crossed that this will be your last move and that you and Mrs. R get settled in with little inconvenience. Do you still have your cats?