I posted about my Grams yesterday and it's only fitting that I post something about her counterpart. This was the other half of the piece posted yesterday. Also previously written......

Having consumed more than enough Jameson this evening the mind wanders where it will and mine staggered across the term "Merchant Marine' which in turn brought me to my Grandpa Huey.
 

Grandpa was a Merchant Marine in WW2, before and after that a working cowboy. The real deal as it were. As such, he was as colorful a character as you were likely to meet. He could talk for hours about life on the sea in the 40's, then turn around and tell the most outrageous stories about drifting ranch to ranch from here to eastern Wyoming. Tell about drinking himself to oblivion and allowing his horse to take him home......which is apparently exactly what you DO when you're hammered, on horseback. Horses know where the barn is, they know there's grain and hay there. Trust your horse.... 

He would sing old rowdy old songs when I was small and scared in the middle of the night. He'd sit for hours in the middle of the wood floor of the ranch house we lived in and play his harmonica and sing.......all for a little kid's nerves.

He taught me how to ride and shoot.....man could he shoot. He taught me how to fight, how to land a punch so the guys mom felt it. He taught me to hook a cheek so the other guy doesn't want to fight anymore, to flatten the bridge of your opponent's nose and similar tidbits of valuable information. He was a brawler supreme. 
 

He never did teach me to play that Harmonica.

He all but lived in his Acmes. I don't ever remember him not having them. Those old boots were the history of his life and the shores he'd stood upon, the places he'd seen. So old and worn, they were long blacked over their original brown. Blood, vomit, piss, cow shit, beer and countless sawdust tavern floors and muddy roads all took part in coloring the life into those boots. I never touched them.....they were damn scary.

When the holidays or an occasion rolled around Grandpa would stroll out in his chocolate brown western suit, nutmeg boots and matching cowboy hat. To my young eyes he looked like Roy Rodgers, Hopalong Cassidy and the Lone Ranger all rolled into one. Maybe a little less flashy and a bit more beery....but just like them.

He was generally an affable fellow, quick with a story (mostly of cowboy or sailor variety). He'd do anything for his buddies as long as beer was involved. It was beer for my grandpa because he'd get a wee bit fierce on whiskey.

I remember being very little, off "on the hill" which is what I called everything beyond the apple orchard behind the house, looking for a Christmas tree suitable for the big old house we all lived in at the time.
I remember him walking along the trail and me calling to him to slow down. His response: "If I go any slower I'll be going backward!". That became something of a joke for the family, but he made a show out of dropping his cigar and gave me a 'fancy meeting you here' look as I caught up just in time.
 
Grandpa where ever you happen to be, thanks.

                                                                                   

in other news.....

Welcome to the newest Hordesman with the neat blog "The TRX Project" you should check it out! I've had the hots for a TRX since I heard about them but they are quite scarce here in the states. It's a bike on my 'someday' list.

Content coming soon! 

Real live content....no really. I've been side tracked with customer stuff and haven't taken much time to snap pics since my shop camera is haggard. I picked up a nice little Cannon SD1400is that should take care of the general pic needs here so there will be more of that kind of stuff soon. I just need to finish porting all the stuff from this computer, DevilBox 2.6.2 to the newest one....Devilbox 2.6.3.

Jordan: Still hacking away at your frame but should have it smoothed out and the swingarm mods done soon. This thing is going to be really tough when it's done mate!

Bob: Haven't forgotten about you, finally have a block of time set aside to port that head for you so stay tuned. There will be pics!

Ringo: I'll have your bits ready to go by the 29th. I think you'll be pleased....there will be pics of these too!

You lot for Clip-ons: (you know who you are haha) I will get the material chopped up Friday so I can start hogging them out. If you're dallying you should make up your mind soon to get on on this batch run.