and its not all that he is saying, but what he doesn’t say.

There is one ‘religion’ that does not fit that bill of Honesty, Love of life, respect,,,

He doesn’t mention any one religion by name,* but by definition he excludes one in particular (and many historically extinct ones)  And any that have done the legwork will know that Islam is a social construct wrapped in the tapestry of religion and has only one goal: domination.   Even the name Islam, which means ‘submit’, follows that goal.  

Like any religion, there are good and bad aspects.  There are some aspects of Sharia that mirror our own legal systems.   Financial rules can be considered good or bad depending on your capitalist bend.(no interest, but they do calculate a fee for loans that is added to the whole,,, early pay-off does not change that amount, unlike in interest based loans.   Simpler for non-accountant types, and maybe more fair to all parties involved (fair meaning, equally screwed.) BUT, there is no room for Religious Freedom anywhere in the Qu’ran.   The names are very caste oriented, and those that pay tithe but not convert are treated only slightly better than a direct infidel and only marginally protected by Sharia.

What isn’t said is sometimes more important that what IS said.   Even the Buddhist side-eye Islam as preached these days.   (Side note, there are vast swaths of Asia under Islamic rule: the break up of India with Pakistan and Bengal are due to religious differences involving Islam.  And Don’t forget, Pakistan has Nukes as does India,,)  and of all the world religions, Islam is the youngest by context and accepted writings.  Still quite medieval, despite its growth over the centuries, and still very war/violence bound.    Peace can be found only in submission, not respect.  It was that fact that turned me away during my investigations of it; the barbarism condoned, and the fact that slavery is still very much an accepted practice in full on Islamic countries.  Oh, you didn’t know that part?   Yeah,, still with us, even in our modern day AI driven media world, while we seek a way off this rock: slavery is still practiced in many countries.  (and rape houses are REAL,,, ladies that think we need to let all immigrants in, without vetting; ya may wanna rethink some things,,,)

I fully agree with Dalai Lama about religous freedom and acceptance, even more so the words he didn’t speak,   The Crusades happened for reason, not just religous competition.

*actuallly he does,   Jainism and Buddhism, but only in stating that they have no ‘creator’ aspect.

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Well, Da did his share and took good care of the babbies; fed em, gave ’em ‘Good boy’ pats, (or in the case of Mama, ‘good Gurl’,,,)  

BUT, I had to make an vet appointment for Cozzie as soon as I got in.   He has an abcess on his chest from those bite wounds.  I guess I didn’t get that one cleaned out enough.

And Guess where I am stopping afterwards?

Yup,, Cousins place.   “Here, pay this or there will be hell to pay,,,,”   And I will be making that call to the Shelter no matter if he pays or not (and I highly doubt he will: He’ll make all sorts of bullshit excuses or accuse me of lying (like what other dogs are going to beat up Cozzie,,, he plays with all the other dogs in the hollar and they don’t end up mutilated.)

Yah,,, A little ticked off.   The Vet appointment isn’t until monday, the best I could get last minute, and that wound may burst before then (thats not a bad thing, just gross as fuck)  BUT, I want him looked over.  Luckily, he had his rabies vaxx a week prior, so that shouldn’t be an issue.  (and Cousins mutts have never had a thing done to them, EVER,,, so they could be carriers of only Dawg knows what.)

Ok,,, about this week: Lessons learned, and I won’t go into all of them as there may be some that would say I am trying to instigate issues in the crew.  NOT, I try to smooth out the issues and get the job done, dammit)   BUT, one lesson learned.  COTTON KILLS,,, Actually,, that is a carryover from Kayaking.   You do not want to kayak in cotton clothing as it can cause issues with Hypothermia..   What I didn’t expect was it can also cause issues with Hyperthermia: You can sweat but it does you no good, because the Cotton doesn’t breath the same way as capelon or some of the other wicking materials available.    The mexican crew that was working along side of us, all had those shirts of wicking material, long sleeved and hooded, and those guys weren’t dying the same way we were.  WIde brimmed hats (hard hats with cloth brim and neck shade attached)   All in bright colors to reflect sunlight.   Wet cotton t’s get darker and absorb MORE sunlight, and don’t keep the flow of sweat away from you.  they just heat up.  I will be correcting the ‘uniform’ before we head back out there again.

Second thing of note: Warm/Hot water does better to cool you down than icewater (unless you pour it over your head)   I knew this from my time in the Marines, in 29stumps, but it was put the wayside:  Its back now.    I recall the muzzies in Kuwait sucking down piping hot coffee during the heat of the day and looking smuggly comfortable while us Jarhead were stewing in our own sweat.  (granted, we were in full battle rattle, to include those damned heavy ass ‘Nam era Flak jackets (this is prior to plates/carriers and the other body armor of worth, which those flak jackets were not.)   I started carrying a black water bottle and drinking from it instead of going for the cold stuff and my sweat levels seemed to go down, and yet I was much more comfortable: still sweating, still stewing in my own juices, but not as miserable. 

Third item,,, It’s time for a damned haircut.   Something a little closer to the scalp and able to breath.  I have thick hair, always have, and yes it holds a lot of sweat when the juices start to flow, but, like that cotton, doesn’t breath so well.    I must’ve dunked my head three or four times a day; one to rinse the sweat out because it was drippinginto my eyes, and two, COOL DOWN THE CRANIUM.

We’ll be back there in another week.  I need to build all the gates we will be installing (3 walks and 4 double drive) and the project company still needs to pour the concrete that will encase all of those poles we set the last three days.  Plus cure time, or at least not green concrete,,,

It’s been a long day.    Zero dark wake up call and move out, on site at dawn, finished what was left and rolled out home.  5 hour drive and its time to chill the F! out. 

and now I have a full weekend ahead of me and not a clue as to what the heck I am going to do.   Pay has been deposited and bills paid already (and still have more than enough for the coming week.  Not as good as I expected, but better than an average week for me.)(to be honest, I had no clue what to expect on pay for this, and thats on me.   It certainly was not on par with my touring days, and that should have been negotiated prior: nobodies fault but mine.   Now I am will need to eat crow on the next one because, “well you accepted it last time“,,  Yeah,,, I’ve been down this road before,,,)

C’est la Vie,,,,

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Harder than projected, lots more rock involved than anticipated.  SO, we are here for another night, and will wrap up tomorrow.  

And it was just as hot as the day  before,,,  

SO far, no one has fallen out.  Been some cases where we forced the potential victim to sit it out and cool down, but no actual drops.   And wanna keep it that way.

We are putting up fence around a track feild, and the feild is situated on a sheet of slate rock that is almost as big as the feild itself, and only a few inches down.  Some places almost a foot, others you can scrape the dirt back and find the stone.

And we had to punch 160 holes in this shit, in this heat,    I was sent to run the auger to speed things up a bit, but our batting average with that was around 40%,,, the rest needed hammered out, or at least enough that we found the other side of the slate and were able to drive the pipe in.    We still have 11 poles to set, and three oif those holes need dug, for reasons out of our control.  Those reasons were eliminated at the end of the day, but we were all pretty bushed at that point.   Hit in the AM when its tolerable, and we can really nail this shit down.  (and our record so far indicates we do more in the first 3 hours than the rest of the day.  This heat is killer.

So, on the world stage, Trump needed to drop a coin the swear Jar,,,LOL.   NYFC is now headed to full Sharia and the fun and games that go hand in hand with that.   I say blow the bridges and tunnels now and mount automated 50’s every 20 yards along the rivers facing that island. No one in, no one out.  They fuckin’ voted for this shit, I say let them live with the consequences of it, and quarantine the whole mess so the contagion can’t spread any further.   But that is about the extent of my information right now.  

Been so danged busy with this project, chasing down the foreman, reading prints, figuring issues and directing crew for certain actions in certain orders (If I had left it to the two senior guys, we would only be halfway done: they dislike splitting the crew up to accomplish more.)  I haven’t had much gumption to look at the world at large.

We had some add ons, that weren’t on the original plans, and I was the go between for Son of Bossman and the Foreman, so that SonOf didn’t need to drive the 6 hours out here for silly bugger games he could handle better from his office at home.    A couple of repairs that weren’t in the original bid as well.    Since we will be returning to finish the second phase of this job (week or two out, Not something I am privy to currently) We can bring back what is needed for those and just bang it out.   The serious hard part is what we are out here dealing with,,, the rest is details

My brain is a little fried tonight, plenty of water, never dehydrated and urine looks good, no dark colors or anything.  BUT, my electrolytes are down, seeing how I was salting the hell out of my food tonight,,,   (learned that in the Marines, “Salt to taste” and there are times where the food would be considered completely inedible by normal people.   Heck, Salt Pork used to taste sweet to me after a month in the desert.)

Anywhooozzzz,,, tomorrow is another zero dark wake up call.  We have been going in before dawn and getting started as soon as it was light enough to see measured marks.   We are in another time zone so sometimes the conversation about when to meet in the parking lot gets rather convoluted and confused. (we have it down now,,,LOL)

And I’m beat, fried, and ready to fall like a felled tree.

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I’m spending a few minutes winding down from that mess I kinds sorta created by being a nice guy.

Took Burnout to Chinese for dinner after we came back to the hotel from the worksite.

NEVER AGAIN.    No decorum, No manners, Left me sitting at the table a couple of times with no clue where he flew off to, first time for 20 minutes, the second for 15,,,

The second time I had paid the bill, and was leaving and here he comes with with a full plate of food (and he hadn’t finished the last one that the waitress had to clear off the table.)

I could see the frustration in the waitresses face, (and she was a cutie to boot)   And that frustration read to me as, “typical fuckin’ American”.   I was embarasssed as F!,,,    

Choose your dinner mates wisely,   and that is one that will never be invited again (and I paid for the both of us since he had already burned through the cash Bossman had passed out just 36 hours ago.   Boys broke as usual.   Sorry, $80 for eating isn’t much compared to usual per diem rates, but this is KY lower cost of living.   I  eat well (Chinese and decent breakfast stuff, not MickeyD’s) and still had over half of that cash and hadn’t dipped into my personal accounts.  

The boy has NO impulse control,

at all.

  

I’ve offered him advice over the last three years, I’ve defended him in situations at work where it may have been better to just let things be, but I have been trying to help him with a hand up, not hand outs (until tonight),   

Yeah,  I forgot all of the above, and I guess I should be grateful that it only cost me the price of one meal and some embarassment with people I won’t see after this job is over.

Lesson learned, Lets see if Dio can retain the memory this time.

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as one of my Kayaky Compadres said “Feels like we are working on the Devils backporch”.  Its FRELLIN HOT!!! like 108 index, and where we are, ZERO SHADE,,,

two more days of it.  

Bossman passed out cash for “eatin’ ” this morning, and once we were situated on the job and things were starting, HE SPLIT,,,

LOL   And if I could’ve, I’d’ve!!! 

Did I mention its HOT?

BUT, I found a Chinese place near the hotel, and joy of joys, they have honest to Dog Sushimi, mmmmm Nomnomnom,,,,

Tuna Salmon and some white fleshed one I am not familiar with, but was very sweet and tasty.

And of course the other meats and NOODS,,,, Gotta have the NOODs or it ain’t Chinese (and I know, the sushimi isn’t Chinese either, but when I find it I enjoy, relish it even.)    Round three was a simple plate of nothing but Sushimi.   I can eat on that to the point of pain, and by the time I make the door after paying the bill, ready for more.   That ginger and wasabi do wonders for my digestion.

I’m worried about my kids,,,   I probably shouldn’t be, but after yester eve’s nightmare, I am very much worried about them.     I know there is not a danged thing I can do from here, and must trust my Da to take care of the feed schedule (and any debacles that may occur.)  

But I don’t like it and there is some small anxiety over it.  

I will say that Cozzie was acting a little more like his usual bouncy smiley self this morning, but the first sound of another dog bark and he ran back in the house.   He will get over this, and trying to not reinforce his fear has me flummoxed.   My being gone for three days is either going to help him grow his spine back, or turn him into a quivering anxiety filled mess.   Still, He is young, and corrections can be made: the timing of this is absolute shit though.

As for working tomorrow,,, We are going to try to split the day up tomorrow, early morning to noon, 3-4 hours break (SIESTA!) then back until “Can’t See”.   This in reality is a 4 day job, and we have only 2 days to do it.   the half today, all tomorrow, and then wrap up on Thursday with drive home.   Its a 6 hour drive and I really don’t wanna get home near midnight that day.  The sooner we can get this wrapped up the better, BUT, I am also not going to push so hard in this heat that someone ends up hospitalized.   And that is a very real possibility.

More laters, gotta shower, and call it a night.    Fat tummy from Chinese, tired from long day,

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Came home, usual routine, fed kids, unwinding from the day, trying my best to keep cool, and not emotionally, but physically: Its HOT! It’s MUGGY!

Then Elb’s runs in the house and I realize I hear a cacophany of Dawgums, and it doesn’t sound like play.  I rush out on the porch, bottle rocket and lighter in hand, and see Cozzie getting whomped on by three of BadCuz’s dogs,   He’s trying to retreat!   He is on my property and not just at the edge of it.   there are roughly 30 yards of heavy wooded area between our properties, so this wasn’t Cozzie making an accidental incursion into their territory.  These bastards came looking!!!

I ran back in, grabbed the rifle and ran out, putting two into the dirt to break up the fight.    Cozz ran in the house and the interlopers ran home with tails between legs.

Seeing the damage, I almost wish I hadn’t wasted those two rounds on the dirt.   FWIW, I grabbed the AR, not the Henry: I knew I needed maximum decibels to break up a dogfight.

Cozzie has several deep bite marks on his forelegs, tail, and one rather nasty one on his chest.   I cleaned them (he really did NOT like that) with some witchhazel, flushing them out until the blood ran clean, and put some triple antibiotic around the wounds.  Patching him at this point would likely cause infection: leave the wound open so it can drain and heal natural.

Seriously,,, Here it is, I have to go out of town for a few days and now Cuz’s dogs are prowling.  And I can’t take the boy with me.   I can’t take the Kats with me.   (( side note: Elbee ran to the woods as soon as I picked up that rifle,,, He knows it goes BANG! and doesn’t tolerate it.   His usual escape route is AWAY from Cuz’ins house so no worries that he ran into predator dawgums.))

I’m pissed!!!   MAD Pissed!!!    They won’t control their dogs, they never take them to the vet, for anything, and they let them breed and breed.   Currently there are 5 new puppies over there, and I believe the total count is close to 15 (likely more)   I do know they lost one of the puppies to blood poisoning because it somehow broke a hindleg and they did nothing for it.  They just let it suffer along until it died. 

And the county shelter told us they don’t have the room or the funding to do anything about it right now.

Do I do the deed, or do I seek other means?   Thats my question right now.  (for the record, I won’t do anything right now, Not with me going away for a few days.  I don’t want to come home to a burned out shell of a house because they decided to ‘pay me back’.)  

and it does no good to call law enforcement.  They will only tell me ‘no vid, didn’t happen’.(ask me how I know)  And there is no way I am going to just video my dog getting his ass kicked by three other dogs.  F! that!!!   

Not going to put up my usual closure on this post as I am not feeling very calm centered or BALANCED right now.  

UPDATEUPDATEUPDATE

Israeli/Iran Ceasefire?

Of course it remains to be seen how either side actually applies this ‘agreement’: Ceasefires involving Muslim countries tend to be ‘fall back and regroup’, not actual peace movements,,,,

as for my “ANGER”,,,,    I spent about half an hour watching one of my truly wild house guests: A pair of FlyCatchers that are nesting on the north wall.   Not sure what actual species of flycatcher, but the ones that build a nest that looks like a papoose hanging on the wall, if that helps you any.   They came back this year after a year away.

I love watching them at work, and the only one working today was the female bird (yes, dad will stay home with the littles so she can get a break.)   I love watching them hover so effortlessly,,,   just hanging in the air, a foot or two off the ground, and not like a hummingbird, but steady purposeful wingbeats, not the helicopter buzz of the hummers.   She spent her whole time between a guywire and the water trough, just nailing anything that tried to take flight.   Occasional rests on the guywire or trough, but more time in the air.   Amazing acrobatics too.

Back to my anger issues.   Cozz is hiding out in the house.   He won’t even go onto the porch to eat.    And when he does move, he looks like he is really sore.  I would say that is the case; poor boy got his butt whipped by three larger dogs.   He’s gonna have to get over it, so I am leaving the foodies on the porch.   He gets hungry enough, he’ll go eat, and I won’t coddle him making him fearful of everything.   He has to ‘get back on that horse’,,,,   I can let him hide in the house while he is achy and pained, but he will have to get back out eventually.   I’m keeping an eye on him, but I think, other than some holes in his hide, the worst is in his head.

What I’m going to do about it is call another shelter.  Let them know what the situation is, even give them pictures of the situation if need be, and get other groups involved.   I don’t want to hurt dogs, or any animal for that matter, but this situation is growing intolerable for the entire hollar.   Its only a matter of time before livestock start falling to this group of hooligan mutts. (inbred mutts at that.)  IF that happens, the law is very clear on the issue: livestock owners then own the rights to that dogs life, period, end discussion.   I pray that things reach some sort of balance before that comes to pass.   (because around here, it won’t be JUST the dog that was found, it will be them all, every single last one of them, and nothing my Cuz or his GF can do about it.)

gonna have to wrap it up early tonight, very early start with a shit ton of driving ahead of me.  5 hours one way, and not even leave the state.  

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I know, I know,,, y’all ain’t into that Buddhist stuff,

Don’t need to be, but I would bet even the most Stoic of y’uns could find a thing or three to take from this little read.

And I would bet there is some younger version of you runnin’bout that could use some insights into traversing this planet/reality.   Not advice, but ways to LIVE at peace with yourself, and those around you.  Chapters like “Respond, not react” (and how to differentiate the two. )

And its all told in short reads, 5-10 minutes, and the monkey, well, MONKEY,,,, Cute, right?   But so much like US,,,   Fact, a couple of chapters hit me right between the eyes, and clarified things I have/am struggled/ing with.  (like the “respond not react’ chapter,,,, I’m bad for lashing out when shit goes sideways.) 

(little note,,, there are some downloadable freebies in the middle of the book.   three of them are guided meditations and if that is Serena’s voice in them,,,,  Well, easy on the ears is an understatement,,,)

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back to the mills tomorrow,,,   Looks like that job on the otherside of the state may be in force this week.  If so, I will be away from home for a couple three days.  I will of course have my gear with me (keyboard, phone, etc) but I’m likely to be sharing a room with one of the other Emps, and that could be ‘challenging’ as I am VERY much the introvert and they are lunatics,,,,Posting may be a little reactionary and my take on the world may be limited by time to take it all in.  

But it will work out.  I’ve already made arrangments for Cozzie and the kittehs: they ain’t gonna like it (Cozzie especially,  He is supposed to go with me when I go away, right?   So he thinks anyway,,,,)   They’ll be fine,

more tomorrow as I know more, about the world, about the coming week, about me, life, the universe and everything: so long and thanks for all the fish sort of thing. (I need to get new copies of those,,, been years since I had them on the shelf, let alone read.)(another author I need to finish filling a void on my shelves: Terry Prattchet,,, ALL of the discworld books,,, Link provided if someone felt EXTREMELY Generous and wanted to send me a giftie,,, 😀 )

  

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