Veterans Day at BG elementary ... stunning tribute.........(no camera!!)

How is it that when I REALLY need a camera, my battery is drained?

(maybe it's because the moment could NOT be captured)

Today I sat silenced by the innocent tribute of children for military veterans who laid their lives on the line for the freedom that these children and the rest of us enjoy every day.

"Mrs. Ansley.. what are all those things on your chest for?"

"These are medals for things I did in the service."

"Did you really protect the President of the United States Ms. Ansley?"

"well, yes... I did that for 2 of our Presidents.
"how about this one? and this one... and this one???"

Little fingers touched the bronze and silver with sincere appreciation for the service they each one represented and the one wearing them explained in humble yet heart felt confidence in a job well done.

... and we thought she was just good at making our kids finish their lunch and play fairly on the playground.... Little did we know.....

I don't think our young ones are in danger on her watch, do you?

You might have thought the chairs were red leather or purple velvet the way all the people in the room held these men and women in such respected eyes filled with thankful tears.

On the screen between the American and Texas flags was a screen filled with the word "AMERICA"... and the children sang......God bless America... land of the free, home of the brave.
Sometimes we get a chance to see those words with our eyes as we hear them with our ears. This was one of those times.
weathered faces, white hair and those eyes... those eyes...those eyes...
These honored ones felt the TRUTH in the tribute of these looking for nothing more than the
gift of giving!


... then,
at the end...
a silver trumpet held in the hands of one competent enough to attend this moment..
TAPS rang out above the silence
yet, another tribute to the ones who would not be attending this day... the ones who paid the ultimate price for what we have available simply by being born in this wonderful country.
PRICELESS! our freedom


And the children said it over and over....
LIBERTY
and
JUSTICE
for ALL!!!!


and lest we forget..... notice the sign that casually hung in the gymnasium this day.... quite fitting I'd say as it hung over those who truly do...."go the extra mile"...
and the sign reads:
"TODAY I WENT THE EXTRA MILE"

yes you did Veterans.......thank you!!!
sincerely, thank you!!

Jim Ned Indians are 4-0 in district play!!! way to go!

The night began in full costume with the Buffalo Gap Elementary kids singing and signing the National Anthem!

Happy faces began the evening that anticipated the 4th win of a surprising Jim Ned team.
Cowboys were welcome at this Indian campground! As long as they were cheering for the
Tepee Team's win!

Clearly Red was the color for this October 31st event!

Let the games begin... GrapeCreek... beware!!!

The Indians are on the warpath looking for another scalp on their victory list!

Done....
31 to 30... JIM NED IS 4 wins... 0 losses............ WAY TO GO INDIANS!

Homecoming approaches at Jim Ned High School!

Homecoming will be next week! The tribe has PRIDE!

The fans listen as coaches talk about "the calm before the storm", and whether this group will "lead, follow, or get outtatheway"....

The plan is.... the Anson Tigers will be the ones getting out of our JN Indians' way as they storm the gates of the football field.

Lawn Elementary second graders brought their own brand of enthusiasm to the chaos as they readily "shook their booties"... in appropriately dignified Indian response!
Smiling faces and lots of cameras were posed to hear this group sing acappella, our national anthem.... applause met their efforts as the last note rang in the gym!
This is NOT sacred ground, but you better take your shoes off before entering this gym... some rules just go without saying!

Don't you love the variety of foot apparel? ONLY IN TEXAS!! ya gotta love it!

Some sounds are the same no matter from what part of our great United States you may hail... Football fans love their contenders... especially when they are the friends, boyfriends, grandsons,

or simply and foremost THE SONS of the ones watching!

Go Indians and God bless the evening of

Texas Football Fun!

New Season...New lunch boxes, Fall is coming soon!

Signs of the new seasons here in the Jim Ned Valley are all around us... From the golden sunrises over our entire community... A new schedule for our little kindergartners... and new lunchboxes are a must for the upper grades.
Classrooms welcome the children back with the walls predicting all sorts of new learning experiences.
... Here in our Jim Ned Valley community, after meet the teacher night...

after... adopt an Indian night...

after the first day of school....

then,

it's grandparents day.... and we get to accompany our little ones into the cafeteria to enjoy meeting friends and eating bar-b-que on a bun....lots of pickles of course!

and.......one of the best things about this time of year

(besides the West Texas Fair and Rodeo... with funnel cakes and smoked turkey legs!!)

is the landscape.

We have the live oaks who, along with our native and pervasive cedars retain their dark green garments though the Fall and into Winter...

But then there are the signs of Fall's approach......the "grandfather's beard"

(at least that's what we've always called it)

makes it's presence known in wonderful waves of billowy white seeds. The native morning glories are all over our roadsides, and the fields are being plowed and planted as this time of year will always bring us rain.

Today, however, we are expecting more than rain.... we are praying for the folks on our coast. Hurricane Ike is in the gulf and about to make landfall. Thanks for the rain, but protect our Texas neighbors!

Olympics 2008..................... Our Little Jim Ned Valley is internationally noticed!

Have you noticed our being NOTICED?

(click or look at the map on the right side of our blog)

Welcome friends!

As the 2008 Olympics cast a cooling shadow over the world,

Peace to all who enter...

in ANY language.

He Ping- Chinese

Paz-Spain and Portugal and some of our Bermuda friends

Salam-Saudi Arabia

Amani- Swahili

Pace- Italian

Vrede- S. African

Mir- Czech

Paix- French

Fred- Swedish

Mire- Russian

Sanaya- Sri Lanka

Anahoro- Burundi

Frieden- German

Soichain- Irish

Booto- Zaire

Wetaskiwin- Cree (native American Indian)

Su Thai Binh- Vietnamese

Irini- Greek

SHALOM- Hebrew

so many languages,

but, disregarding all that is visible to our physical eyes,

we look pretty much the same.

May we find common ground on which to stand.

Enjoy the 2008 Olympics FRIENDS of the world!!!

Tour de Gap...Annual BICYCLE RACE at Buffalo Gap.... faster than a speeding bullet!

Last Saturday was a yearly event that sets motorists to the side of the road and my little dogs into tail spins! It was the Buffalo Gap Tour de Gap.

Yes, little puppy dog... there will be more coming in just a moment!
And here they come!
What a fun annual event for cycle enthusiasts from all over the country. This year there was a quite interesting one of which I took exceptional note. Who was the guy in the red capsule thing over his bicycle? He caused quit a stir around here on Lemons Gap road I can tell you for sure!

..... and a good time was had by all!!!

;)

until next year my two wheeled friends... until next year!

Cedar Gap Farm's "secret" recipe to attract birds!! even the elusive PAINTED BUNTING!!!!

We have a VERY successful birding facility here in our Jim Ned Valley!!!

Cedar Gap Farm is on the birding trails of Texas and recognized by the Audubon Society for it's location and it's ability to meet the needs of our local finely feathered friends!

Earlene has evidence of it's success in the picture below.

Yes, they have frequent sightings of the elusive Painted Bunting and his more modestly adorned green feathered female.

Take time out of your busy schedule to enjoy a moment with the Huttos at this blessed place right here in our special part of the world....

They are a bit off the beaten trail (or off Hwy 83/84 to be more exact), but highly worth the effort made to get there.

(After some not too difficult coaxing, my friend and fellow Chamber member gave me her special "secret" recipe to attract these pretty visitors to my neck of the woods..... I thought you might be interested as well......as Earlene suggests.... ENJOY)

Suet Recipe:

Melt together 1 cup crunchy peanut butter and 1 cup lard.

Stir in 2 cups one minute oatmeal,

2 cup yellow corn meal, (corrected from 1c.. too thin!!)

1 cup flour,

1/2 cup sugar.

You can put it in a plastic contain or in whatever you want to store it. I sometimes put it in cup cake papers in cupcake pan and place in freezer, then lift out one and serve to the birds.

You can serve it in small containers, on the limb of a tree, at the edge of a feeder, etc.

The birds will get used to how you serve it and be looking for it.

Have fun!!

Thanks,Earlene

Cedar Gap Farm