Levi Johnston, Bristol Palin’s b/f and father of their son, Tripp, just quit his job in the oil fields on the north slope after questions arose regarding his eligibility for the job.  Levi didn’t graduate from high school which is a requirement,  and I wondered how he could get a job as an electrician’s apprentice, in the same crew with his g/f’s father Todd Palin, without the required education,  but…well, Alaska plays games with different rules.  Todd Palin doesn’t have much education either.
Everyone denies that Sarah or Todd Palin or Johston’s father had any part of Levi getting a lucrative job with an oil company.  Levi quit his job once it was revealed he didn’t meet the minimum requirements for the job.

Meantime, Levi’s mom is facing six felony drug counts after a lengthy undercover police investigation.

And Sarah Palin has a bunch of questions she can’t answer…

These two kids, Bristol and Levi, seem to have nary a chance…and that’s too bad.  Like so many their age, they made youthful decisions in an adult world…and have no time to grow up or retract the past.

Unless you are a daily reader of this blog, I bet you can’t guess where the largest concentration in the world of the very rare rose comb Rhode Island Reds will soon be? We’re not talking chicken and noodles here!  This is preservation of a species under consideration and a very dedicated overseer of that species.  He’s gotten two dozen eggs in six days, not bad for young pullets in the winter.  They’ll soon be baby chicklets. Those are from the hens we picked up in Chapman the other day.  Good going girls.

One of my dear friends just told me the funniest story ever.  It’s too long and convoluted to repeat here, but I think I’ll start paying my bills with Monopoly money, as her friend’s friend did, and then have my kids go make it good. I think it would actually work around here.  If I paid my F and M bill with Monopoly money, I’m sure Barbara would laugh and call someone closely related to me and ask them to come make it good.  I’d probably get arrested in the city, but not here.  I hope not, anyway.

My friend, the Crystal Queen, would like one of the rose comb Rhode Island Reds for chicken and noodles.  She thinks she should be able to con the owner out of a reject…maybe one with a limp or minus some feathers.

I worked most of the day on routine things that Brit did for us that are not so routine for me.  I can report the Blue Cross/Blue Shield people have a courtesy message they relate with each call…”Is there anything else I can help you with?  We’re here to help you so call back if there is anything we can do for you.”  They got our account figured out so I don’t need to call back.  Good people there.  Good service….if the check really is in the mail

The same is true with State Farm.  I do business with Marsha Hoffhines in Salina, and have for a long time.  I get great service from her and and she has helped me beyond what I needed to know.  I don’t need to call her back except for fun.

I’m saving the worst until last…life insurance and taxes.  I’ll dig into it tomorrow.

Write your own ending.  The horse controversy in Kanopolis has come to an end.  Everyone meant well.  It’s not of any consequence, but we all wanted to know how it would end….and now we won’t.  We wish them all well.  Good people all.

My blog does have happy consequences at times that are very rewarding.  Last night I was visiting with a good friend about assorted things related to her long ago life.  Nothing specific.  Guess what?  Today someone specific from her long ago past wrote me regarding one of my blog entries regarding her.  The two of them haven’t connected for probably over 20 years….and my blog got them reconnected.  That makes me feel so good.

And, youngest grandson Tyler had four wisdom teeth pulled at Lackland AFB early this morning.  He said one of his co-workers intubated him which he thought was really “cool”.  He’s was doing fine while still pretty sedated when he called.  The Air Force has some great doctors so he’s in good hands.

In another twist of fate, Tyler was out of his usual arena at Lackland, and on an errand in an area where new recruits gather for physicals, tests and assorted things.  Remember, there are thousands of Air Force personnel at Lackland…THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS… and Tyler was walking down the hall and just happened to see his good friend Greg Jones standing in formation with other new recruits.  Tyler jumped up and down, made faces and did everything he could to make Greg laugh, but Greg only raised an eyebrow in recognition.  He knew the rules.  But…they were so glad to see each other.  If Tyler had set out to find Greg, he said he never could have found him.  What a nice meeting.

I wonder how my friend, Gil, is faring in Israel.  I worry about him and his family.

It’s time for Rachel Maddow on MSMBC….she’s smart, accurate and great reporting the news.  If she makes a mistake, which is rare, she owns up to it.  If you haven’t watched her, take a look.  She’s on at 8 pm.

Thanks for tuning in.

Please see Monday’s New York Times for the Op-Ed piece by Berry &  Jackson on their proposal for a 50-year farm bill.

Wes Jackson is a plant geneticist and president of The Land Institute in Salina, Kan.

Frustrated about the exploitative nature of five-year farm bills, and thinking we need a long-term vision for our agriculture in the 50-year time frame as a minimum, they convened a group to discuss the issue among those who have been working in the trenches on farm policy.

They carried that discussion to smaller groups from coast to coast to assemble information and support.

They are challenging national policymakers to set a 50-year goal for how agriculture should look—to be resilient and sustainable.

The 5-year farm bills during that period would be mileposts of progress toward that goal. .

They are seeking attention to our report by the transition team for the Obama administration.

Click here to read the article in the New York Times.

The Chamber board picked the right person to honor as Citizen of the Year….Cherie Sauers of Kanopolis.The list of Cherie’s accomplishments is long and varied and could fill volumes.

Most people know her as the Mayor of Kanopolis, a post she’s held for 12 years.  During that time Kanopolis has moved forward under her leadership with noticeable visual changes including new decorative downtown street lights and trees, playground equipment, building improvements and significant park upgrading.   The general appearance of the town shows her personal touch.

Photo by Jesse Manning
Cherie is a hands on person who has the leadership ability to motivate and bring people together to help with projects, but she also works the grassroots jobs and serves as a volunteer with the Kanopolis Volunteer Fire Department.

Cherie has been active with the Ellsworth County Historical Society for 14 years and served as treasurer and vice-president.  Yearly she manages several fundraisers that include soup and spaghetti suppers and hamburger feeds. Fort Harker Days has been an important event growing in popularity because of her leadership.

Fort Harker Museum
The acquisition of the Commanding Officers’ Quarters for the Historical Society was largely due to Cherie’s efforts. As chairperson of the Fort Harker Days celebration committee, Cherie has kept the history of Kanopolis alive within the community.  She takes great pride in showing visitors and politicians around and talking about the history of the area.

During the Fort Harker archaeological dig in 1996, Cherie opened her home to volunteer workers and prepared sack lunches for them.  She’s always extending a helping hand wherever she can.

Cherie and her husband, Marty, mow and trim the Historical Society property in Kanopolis to reduce maintenance costs for the Society.  She is involved in the heart of Kanopolis and as Mayor and a concerned citizen does everything possible to make the town a better place for its residents.  Her ability to work tirelessly attracts volunteers to help with various projects about town and fund drives.

As a life-time active member of the Kanopolis Methodist church she has been a Sunday school teacher for more than 20 years.  She has maintained an interest in 4-H throughout her life and helps whenever they ask her to participate whether  to offer ideas, plan events, drive trucks or work cattle.  Her efforts to help handicapped children is legendary as is her work as a paraprofessional for Unified  School District #327.

Since 2000 she has been the campaign treasurer for State Representative Josh Svaty, keeping track of contributions, submitting required records to the State and planning campaign events.

Cherie is the daughter of Paula and the late Marvin Schneider.  She is married to Marty Sauers and they have three sons: Brian, Justin and Preston.

She will be honored February 4th at the Annual Chamber meeting and dinner to be held in the Ellsworth High School Commons area.  John Koepke, executive director of the Kansas Association of School Boards, will be the speaker.  The dinner will be catered by Gene’s Deli and Ally Britton.  Tickets for the event are being sold at the Chamber office for $20 for non-members and $18 for Chamber members.

I don’t know of anyone who is more deserving of this honor than Cherie Sauers.   She’s a good friend to all and one heck of a worker.

Congratulations, Cherie.

Who are the Dems going to have run for governor in 2010?  The pickin’s look very slim.

The political picture changed after Kathleen pulled out of contention for a cabinet post.  Maybe she was sincere in opting to stay in Kansas to work on the critical budget conditions we’re facing.  Maybe Obama asked her to wait a couple of years.   People come and go (Gov. Bill Richardson has already fled) and Sebelius would be a likely and good pick in 2010.

It was expected that Mark Parkinson would run for Governor in 2010. Rumors have been around for months that Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson didn’t want the job as governor and wasn’t going to run. Last week, he said with finality that he would not be in the race.  That being settled, who does that leave?

The only other party hopefuls seem to be Dennis McKenny, 3rd District congressman Dennis Moore of Lenexa and Kansas Attorney General Steve Six. Dennis McKenney has taken the nod for the State Treasurer’s position and is unlikely to leave that post in two years.  Dennis Moore says he wants to run for re-election in 2010.  McKenny and Six have not even had a chance to win their seats on their own as they were both appointed to their posts.  No one except Dennis Moore is in much of a position to spring to higher office.

On the Republican side, Sen. Sam Brownback has been visiting every county in the state and greasing the wheels to be the GOP gubernatorial nominee in 2010. Today he opened his gubernatorial campaign committee for fund-raising business in Topeka.   In Republican circles, he’s as far right as you can get and not a popular choice. He doesn’t leave moderates from either party with anything to smile about.  But there is still Ron Thornburgh to consider. He’s Kansas Secretary of State and has indicated he’s going to run.  He will need a lot of money to compete with Brownback but he will be a formidable opponent.  Brownback isn’t going to get anointed by the party and is not a popular candidate.

And…there is Steve Six, who would be a good, moderate choice for the Dems. Mayor Joe Reardon of Kansas City may also run.

Things will heat up by summer and we’ll see who really wants to be governor of Kansas.

REMINDER…. all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sale calls next month.

YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS

To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222and follow the directions for registering your cell phone number.
This is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.

If you receive unwanted calls, you must get the number of the caller then call donotcall.gov or the above number to report the infraction.  I entered the do not call number in my cell phone so I can easily report abusive calls from telemarketers.

HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS.. It takes about 20
seconds.

I think Ringo is depressed.  He lies at the top of the stairs…waiting it seems.  He’s bouncy enough when he wants a cookie, but his food is still in his bowl.  I’ll see how he is tomorrow.  Maybe he needs to have Maggie come play. I’ll put him in bed and read him a bedtime story. Brit used to talk to him all the time….I always thought we had company.

“Evolution of Technology”, is a fantastic ad created by Scholz&Friends Group for the German electronics store Saturn that shows an evolutionary process from dinosaur robots to modern androids.  Click here to view.

Remember my two friends from Alaska…Nic on the left, Sam on the right?  The boys who biked across Kansas every inch of the way in 2007?  No walking and pushing their bikes up steep hills like some of the older folks?   Nic was the youngest ever to accomplish such a feat.

Well, you can see from the pictures above they are growing up and only a strum away from becoming rock stars!  These pictures were taken as they performed in the Muse Christmas program.

Nic and Sam are also involved in lots of other activities in addition to taking guitar lessons.  They are both in their second year of Latin and Sam began learning Spanish this year.   Nik has been obsessed with healthy eating, trans fats, and hydrogenated oils since watching the movie Supersize Me about a year ago. He is busily working on a science fair project about trans fats.  They are both home schooled by their indomitable mother, Margaret.

Way to go Sam and Nic. (and Margaret)…keep up the good work!

Alan Stuart Franken — the 59th Democratic Senator of the 111th United States Congress.

Congratulations to Al, to his family, and to his campaign team on fighting the good fight and vanquishing Norm “jailbird” Coleman.

Somewhere, Paul Wellstone is dancing a jig!!

If you build a passive solar system in an earth-bearmed house, you can get by without much, or any, auxiliary heat.  Friends of mine who live a few miles east have not had their heat on this winter…and probably won’t need it.  She says she needs a sweater about 10, but otherwise is very comfortable. Ours has passive solar qualities too, but it doesn’t work THAT well, especially when the sun doesn’t shine.

If I were going to build another house, I’d berm it and employ all of Mike Reynolds techniques. He used old car tires and packed them solid with dirt for his walls. That appeared to be the hard part of the construction.  Ally and I went through several of his houses in New Mexico and he has the right idea about keeping them green.   They captured rain water and recycled it,  operated off the grid, grew veggies inside and watered them with gray water… and didn’t have any yard to mow.  Just think how much money you could save if you didn’t have to pay for gas, electricity, water and street improvements?

There is an earthship house on the way to Manhattan on the northside of the Interstate that looks very interesting.  Great looking house.  I don’t  have the least bit of curiosity about the inside of other people’s houses, but I would like to see the inside of that one and talk with the owners.

Meantime, I run around with my thermostat set about 63 and layer my sweat shirts. I like a cool house, but I notice lately that friends rarely remove their coats.  Brit always liked the house warmer, so we kept it warmer.  I always kidded him about wearing short-sleeved shirts in the winter and want the temperature almost 80…and the fire places blazing.   Then in the summer, he’d want the thermostat set at 65. I miss him so much..and our conversations.

Here is Mike Reynold’s latest earthship creation, Pheonix Rising, located near the Gorge Bridge over the Rio Grande.  The outer layers of glass aren’t yet in place. It’s 5,000+ square feet and being offered at a million five….but I think that was a couple years ago.  It’s probably a bargain today.  It looks like it might be a good long commute to work.

If you read the comment below, Mike got his start from the Mingenback family in McPherson.  Interesting…
Thanks for tuning in….

Chef Pierre pies…at least a pound of fruit in every pie.

Nelson, the rep from Chef Pierre pies, is at the deli today serving samples of  several different Chef Pierre pies.   Ally has been raving about them for months and wanted to carry them as a deli item, so today was sampling day.  It’s hard to pick a favorite.  They are all very good…so taste them and see what you think.

They are a product of Sara Lee and are fine dining restaurant quality pies.

I really like fresh fruit so I gravitated to the Wild Berry Blast Pie.  It has a pound of fresh cranberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries with a lemon crust.  It’s a keeper.  He cut the top out of the pie to show all the fruit that’s hidden inside.  It’s one of the two pies…the other is the County Apple Pie… that comes frozen that you have to bake.  The others are ready to go.

The Seven Layer Pie includes coconut, pecans, butterscotch chips, chocolate chips and chocolate chunks.

Another really great pie was the Dutch Apple Streusel Pie with a maple crust.

Stop in and try them all.  If you missed Nelson, he’ll be back several times in the coming weeks and on Valentine’s Day with different combinations of chocolate pies.

It’s Oriental food day at the deli as well.  Here’s the menu:

It’s cold and blustery outside. I’m building a fire and staying inside for the rest of the day.  Ringo has had his outing in the car and is content to stay put as well.

Thanks for tuning in…

Energy council abolished
Sebelius acts after panel was given a year to right its course
By Tim Carpenter
The Capital-Journal
Published Thursday, January 01, 2009

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius pulled the plug Wednesday on the Kansas Energy Council after a majority of its members advocated elimination or overhaul of the think tank because special-interest parochialism undermined its influence.

The governor eliminated the council by signing an order acknowledging its diminished role amid recent proliferation of energy policy groups created by the legislative and executive branches. The order commended council members for establishing a framework for analyzing energy needs and for promoting energy efficiency…

….Rep. Josh Svaty, D-Ellsworth, and a KEC member, said the council’s angling for unanimous policy statements led to weak recommendations or avoidance of big issues, including global warming.

“When you do, you will get the results you were getting, which were well-thought out ideas, but nothing earth-shattering,” he said.

Sarah Dean, a Lawrence resident who served on the council since its inception, saluted the governor for “biting the bullet.” She said the council illustrated its ineffectiveness by refusing to wade into the Sebelius administration’s controversial denial of a permit to Sunflower Electric Power Corp. for construction of a $3.5 billion coal-fired plant.

“We never once had Sunflower on our agenda,” said Dean, also party to a lawsuit seeking to block the plant.

Click here for the rest of the Cap Journal story.

Ally and I went on a road trip to Manhattan today to visit the college kids…seniors, no less.  They are projected to graduate in May, right on schedule after spending four years devouring information.  We ate at their favorite place… Cocobolos Wood Fired Grill and Cantina.

It was my first visit to the restaurant I’ve heard so much about and I highly recommend it.  They have a wide variety of slightly unusual Mexican food.   We all had something different and everything was good.

There was a booth behind Kaley and Drew and another one or two behind us…it’s a very small place.  They used every last color of paint from the factory to decorate the place.

Drew favors their stacked enchiladas, Kaley had crab-stuffed mushrooms, I had an unusual club sandwich with great fried potatoes on the side and Ally had something good in a skillet.

There are some stools over-looking the grill where blinding smoke and fire are created.  It’s a trendy place and teeny tiny small.  They were making fresh fruit sangria when we were there that, according to Kaley, is quite good and very stout.

Ally and I stopped in Abilene on the way home to visit friends.  We stopped in Salina to get reshod.  I needed some winter Merrill’s and Ally needed farm boots.  My friend, Anne in Salina, has been urging me to buy Yak Tracks to keep me stable on ice so I did.  They look like just the right thing to keep me upright.  We went to Lowe’s and bought a stack of lighter logs for our fireplaces.  Those things are hard to find, when you want them.  It was a long day, but Ringo loved it and he was a very good traveler.

Thursday Ringo and I took a road trip east of Chapman to buy chickens with my farmer friend Ryon.  Well, I thought it was going to be a real farmer type chicken run, with a big old, sputtering, lumbering farm truck and a huge trailer to haul all the chickens.   It turned out that we went in his Lincoln, that has a Porshe engine or some such thing, and goes verrrrry fast….and we carried the hens home in the trunk.  These modern farmers!

Here’s how this works.  When you’re trying to coax chickens into taking a road trip, you sneak into their pen with a pole and net on the end and wait until the one you want is within range.  If you’re good and patient, you get it on the first try.  Ryon snagged nine of them with no effort.

Here’s the crate he put them in…all nine chickens and one rooster fit in there and weren’t crowded, he said.  They are rose-combed Rhode Island Reds, which are pretty special.  hey were bred in the Northeast 125 years ago and the name stuck.  Not to be confused with New Hampshire Reds, which are essentially Rhode Island Reds, but a lighter shade that developed out of reach of the original Rhode Island red breeders.

Lulu is complaining she hasn’t had a pedicure in weeks and she thinks she has a touch of gout in her ankles.  Ryon checks her feet for the red color that is prevalent in this breed, pampers her and gently puts her in the cage with the others.

Mike, the owner of the chickens, urges them the other way.  They just want to go roost.

These are big plump chickens and ready to lay eggs that Ryon will hatch to increase his “flock”. Ryon knows his chickens.  He judges them at fairs state-wide.

Here are the roosters.  Ryon picked out the one he wanted and put him the crate with the others….and put the crate in the trunk of his car.  It’s dark in there so they were quiet!
Now, what I didn’t know, is that the hens need 14 hours of sunlight in order to make and  lay eggs and then they need darkness to manufacture the shell around the egg.  They do that the night before they lay the egg the next day.  I’m not sure it’s a process that requires much brain power.  Like Ryon says, anyone who looks at a chicken has to believe in evolution.

Ryon knows as much about raising chickens and turkeys…and egg production…and butchering and cooking chickens and turkeys as anyone I know.  He’s a “from start to finish kind of guy” with these birds.  If you want to know about this fancy breed, or the others he raises, pose a question in the comment section and I’ll bet you’ll get your answer.

Ringo had never been on a pleasure trip before and he did really well staying in the back seat and watching everything that passed him by. He loved it…and he should sleep like a box of rocks tonight.So…those were my road trips this week.  I don’t have anymore scheduled, but you’re bound to get pictures should another offer emerge.

P.S. from Ryon:   Just wanted to let you know that the girls we brought home yesterday layed 5 eggs today.  5 of 9 isn’t too bad considering they were in the trunk of my car for a few hours.  I’ve put extra light on them and the seem to be doing well.  They’re laying better than my other chickens are, but I hope I remedied that this afternoon when I added lots of lights to my chicken houses.  I’ll bet you can see my farm from outer space with all the light I burn.  They’re only on for a few hours so the electric bill isn’t too bad.

Cheers to the New Year with another chance to get it right.

You’ll love Uncle Jay’s recap of the year’s past news…

Dane spent most of the day, as you see him, waiting for Sheriff Charlie Zavesky to pick him up and go patrol Kanopolis Lake. Dane had his hand cuffs, cowboy hat, thermos jug of hot chocolate, boots, and was ready to go.  Charlie said he’d be by in the morning, but it was late afternoon before he arrived.  Dane didn’t waiver and inch waiting for him.  I guess that’s when he decided he developed the patience to be a policeman.

George Jelinek, Virginia Lee and Valerie Lee Horejsi are in their finest regalia for the Centennial parade.

Ally and her hero.  I should have called Martha Stewart before I bought those drapes.

Moi… for my friend, Susan in Halifax.

Carolyn Andrews, Dane and Mark Andrews.  Jim Andrews was the Methodist minister here for several years.

Todd and Ally, dressed in their finest.

Carol Larsen in her splendid Chevy. Carol lived across the street so we became great friends.  Husband Bob was the Chevy dealer so she always drove classy cars.

Brit wore his flight jacket most of his life.  He seldom outgrew anything until recent years.

This has been a sad year for all of us, particularly Luke and Mackenzie. It has been a very difficult year for Mackenzie, after losing her father and grandfather and now Luke’s grandfather is not expected to last but a short time.  They are heading south to Victoria to be by his bedside.  Our thoughts are with all of Luke’s family…and we hope the new year will bring more joy and happiness to all.

Tomorrow I’m going on a Chick Trip with my friend Ryon, the turkey-chicken-duck breeder and raiser of heritage fowl things. I’m not the “chick”.  He is going on a buyer’s trip to a chick-raising farmer’s place east of Chapman and asked Ringo and me to tag along. He’s a nice guy to remember his friends, young and old.  Ringo is waiting by the door with a grin on his face.  I’m right behind him.

Here’s an article about Ryon and Frank Reese and their Heritage poultry breeds.  If you read the entire article, you’ll find one of Ryon’s recipes for Huntington Chicken that was handed down to him from his grandmother, Freda Reichert.  If you latch on to one of Ryon’s recipes, treasure it.  He makes the most beautiful, light and delicious chocolate angel food cake you ever wrapped your lips around.  He makes the best mince meat ever…and I was never a mince meat lover. That’s because  I never had REALLY GOOD homemade mince meat until Ryon gave me a quart for Christmas.  Karen made it into a 9″ pie and everyone, without exception, liked it.  My dream life would be to have Ryon prepare and cater in all my meals! Of course, I have Ally who does…and Ryon would have to stretch to catch up with her.  They are top rung chefs.

Tomorrow night I  had two party offers.  One was recinded.  One is to join friends in Abilene and another to a friend’s house here, but she canceled while bemoaning the fact her house wasn’t clean enough to enjoy company.   After the chick trip, I’ll probably call it a day.  Staying home can be the best way to usher in the New Year.  Or I could have Ryon kick Ringo and me out of his truck in Abilene and we could stay there for the party.  I have options. Are there party crashing opportunities around here?  Hummmm….

On Friday Ally and I are going to Manhattan to visit Drew and his g/f Kaley.  I haven’t seen his room  in the ATO house this year, which I understand is better than the one I actually visited his freshman year.  I don’t get the hang of guys sleeping in refrigerator-like boxes with their chairs and sofas on top, but they like it and it seems to work for them.  It’s definitely a young guy thing but has expanded possibilities.  We’ll go to Drew’s fave Mexican place for lunch and with a little luck, I might capture Jesse for lunch too.

Meantime, I have been very busy trying to catch up with things that need to be done with Brit’s and my every day living and business arrangements….that now have taken a turn in his absence.  He did so much for me, gave me so much of his life, that now I need to do on my own without him.  I’ve needed help at first weeding through things that he assumed were his responsibility, but now are mine.  They will gradually fall into place.  It will take time.  He’s still here beside me…but he can’t lend a helping hand.  Family and friends are treasures, as he said they would be.

Thanks for tuning in….