Maria Isabella “Belle” Boyd of Martinsburg Virginia. Known as “La Belle Rebelle,” “the Siren of the Shenandoah, ” the Cleopatra of Secession: “the Rebel Joan of Arc,” and the “Amazon of Secessia” once shot a Yankee soldier dead at the age of 17 for insulting her mother, and was one of the Confederacy’s most notorious spies.
“If it is a crime to love the South, its cause, and its President, then I am a criminal. I would rather lie down in this prison and die than leave it owing allegiance to a government such as yours.” – Belle Boyd
Some people are not to be trifled with.
*
Directions in the South
Cooking in the South
Helmets
Restrictions
When I worked for USGOV in Mexico almost a decade ago now, there were travel restrictions that weren’t much different than they are now. I think that Chiapas was no-go/denied then and that seems to have been lifted. In any event, it didn’t apply to me and I specifically spent my time in those restricted areas when not at the Embassy or in the D.F. The more interesting stuff took place in the denied areas. The area east of Puerto Vallarta is deep narco territory, but it’s green on the map. I think that may be political. Mexico is a Narco state, and has been. The notion that it isn’t is a pleasant fiction but that’s all that it is.
Identify the Aircraft
1
Extra points will be awarded if you explain the paint scheme.
2
Identify the Tank
Photo of the Day
Housekeeping
I’ve been traveling and have found that as the sand empties (mercilessly) from the hourglass that everything hurts more when I travel extensively. It’s a common refrain for a reason.
Identify the Aircraft:
1. de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo
2. Saab 17
Identify the Tank:
M42 Duster
A C-7 Caribou (DHC-4 works too)
IDA:
1.). DHC-4 Caribou. The paint scheme is what the pilots would do every year at Christmas. I believe it was called a Santa Claus face.
2. ) Saab 17
IDT:
M42 Duster
Yes, the face of Rudolph/Santa Clause, delivering Christmas joy to some really nasty parts of the world. The line from Apocalypse Now – “The more they tried to make it feel like home, the more they made everybody miss it.”
Housekeeping… Maybe you need to get out in the kayak more often? You Have some more mileage than me but yesterday I had to resort to a sweet nurse giving me a torodol shot. 🤙The area east of Puerto Vallarta is deep narco territory, but it’s green on the map. I think that may be political… Long time ago when I passed through there I remember seeing a lot of mid-level narco vacation homes. And some us official vacation homes.
I’m resisting getting relief from medication. Taking it on the chin hurts but I’m rolling that way.
Inland Vallarta has some very nice homes. And it’s deep narco country.
DrMrsPaulM says (in short), “Pain is inflammation, inflammation is scar tissue.” I say, “In this day and age pain and suffering in this manner is not necessary.” (neither is having a completely useless medical “system”…but that’s another discussion)
Okay to take some OTC NSAID’s or Relief Factor. (Can’t erase well used muscles and frame over 60+ years, we active ones end up like retired football players, aches come with the territory.)
Without belaboring the issue, I’m going to need to have both hips replaced. I’ve worn them out. I’m not crippled or stove up – yet – but if it’s not handled, I will be. There is a medical daisy chain that I need to go through to make that happen. I’ve taken steps to start the process.
Meanwhile, I’m still active and still run around, keeping the Excedrin bottle handy for those moments when it gets really achy.
Had my right hip replaced in May and if you’re not looking to storm beaches you’ll be mostly functional in about 4-6 weeks.
Hip replacements are in my future as well, so is the left knee. I have been kicking that can down the road for a while but eventually it does make good sense. Please consider documenting the process you go through on Virtual Mirage. Heck we get a lot of education on sailing history and military arms through history, you might as well add medical bureaucracy to the mix.
Half my rancher neighbors, who spent their lives riding and running rodeo and working hard, have had either their knees or hips replaced…sort of like replacing the brakes on the pickup, pretty straight-forward. UHMW and injection molded titanium are your mobility friend going forward…but it isn’t an easy decision. Rehab is as BbW above says, 4-6months is the norm according to them.
Ed…I’m hoping mine stay the course despite years of use and abuse. Usually 200mg’s of Vitamin ‘I’ is my friend when overworked.
Bob [(bobbookworm) lives about 100 miles from me and has been by the house, etc.] reports a 6 week +/- recovery time and that’s close to what others have told me and what PaulM reports here as well. Full recovery is a few months longer Some people have both hips replaced at the same time and while that might work ok, I would rather endure these things one at a time.
My concerns revolve around a botched operation that would leave me in a wheelchair.
I have become less active because of this hip situation. I can still walk, hike, and drive a car for 9 hours at a stretch, but some of the walking and hiking I’d like to do is off the table because I pay up for doing it and masking it with pain killers is not smart and it’s not a long term strategy.
So to Ed’s point. My doctor of 30 years retired. I was assigned a third-world Arabic as a first language doctor by my healthcare plan. I complained and they gave me a Chinese as a first language doctor to replace him. To me, it’s not a national origin thing. It’s a cultural thing and I need to be able to communicate with my primary care physician who works as a gateway to other specialized care. I tried to see another doctor (Female/Swiss) in my healthcare plan and administrators nixed the appointment. I will spare you the drama. So I hunted down my retired MD relentlessly in his retirement and he recommended a physician. That physician, who speaks English as a first language and grew up in the USA where he attended med-school and training is now my primary care physician.
There is more drama, but it has nothing to do with the process of having hips replaced. In due time, I will see him and we’ll begin the slog through the system, appointments, etc. I will share some of that here if there is interest.
I started a new business several months ago and the people who talked big and delivered small are gone. The business is working, cash flow is underway and overhead is under control. Subcontractors are subcontracting and I keep adding clients. At this stage, I need to be present at times to make it rain. So while the medical dominoes are lined up, my professional dominoes are not. 80% of what I do is on the phone or computer but the 20% that is not is key to success at this point. I have some significant clients talking about significant work that will require my physical participation (ass on an airplane for the most part, running in and out of hotels, smiling and being nice [more painful than hips] and so forth. Until I have that worked out, I can’t go through the scheduling and apointments.
Something that helps the bad joints in this family is the Garden of Life FYI Ultra Ultimate Joint & Cartilage Formula supplement. I’ve been on it for some time and there are days it seems to be the only reason I can get around. My wife recently developed some knee problems as well, so she tried it and said it really helps her.
I’m just past the 90 day mark and that is probably the earliest I would consider long flights or long drives. Before that and you would probably not be a happy camper when you reached your destination. YMMV
Sit much and you tend to stiffen up…even now, that shift to vertical can be a period of ??Discomfort?? and a little tottering and limping until things settle into place…then normal gait returns.
Part of it may relate to the style of operation you get…I was done posterior because I lean to the ‘Chunky’ lol…I could have gone anterior as it is supposed to heal faster but Doc said trade slower heal for better odds on good outcome. Cornelson in Show Low did mine and he ‘dun good’..Good facility too.
Keep us updated, and feel free to contact me if I can help in any way.
Taxco was my wife’s favorite place to visit. Don’t have the knees for it now.
Taxco is on a hill, as you point out. So you either go for the new titanium replacement (bionic parts) option or the motorized wheelchair on the cobblestone streets.
That area is no-go for a reason now. They started cultivating opium poppies in a big way after 2000 and they are hostile toward anyone (unreasoningly so) who might disrupt that. Today, I wouldn’t go there without a death wish. Many of those areas were delightful once.
Southern girls like that make the world go round. I’m coming back and marrying that one in my next life.
Southern cooking isn’t particularly good for you (butter, bacon, and sugar being the holy trifecta) but who wants to live forever?
I sure don’t, but whatever. Have the hip replacement thing coming my myself soon, and I’m on the same 80/20 work ratio you described above. We have a boy genius in the company who thinks me non-essential until TSHTF and then I’m his best buddy. We’ll see what harpoons then…..
The one plane looks like Lightning McQueen from Cars.
We need a few Belle Boyd’s today, convicted and likely knew how to define “a woman”…even without a degree. Her quoted sentiment is where half of us are today where patriotic Americans are being couched as the criminal element by the actual criminals merely because we are staying strong and persevering for The Constitution. So be it.
Suthun’ Cookin’: Friend was from North Carolina. Went back with him to check on his dad and the homestead. Had breakfast at a local place, called something like The Happy Moose. Was hungry so ordered Biscuits-n-Red Eyed Gravy with two eggs and bacon, ham slice, hash browns, and the requisite ‘sweet tea’ and coffee. Food came out…and I kid you not…three platter sized plates. Those folks can eat. As LL would say, crackling arteries. Heaven.
Travel takes it out of you, especially if you love where you live and your lifestyle. I stopped traveling every week for work when MrsPaulM said I want you home, time to retire. Six months later I was finished. Then the Government Covidiocy Ruse hit. Good timing for once in my life.
In my travels, yesterday morning in fact, I ordered a “Denver omelet” and it came out as a 5-egg omelet, the eggs were VERY fresh and usually, bacon is not served on the side when you order an omelet, but there were four pieces of bacon, sourdough toast, a massive platter of crispy hashbrowns, half a gallon of orange juice. I commented and the waitress said, “Everybody needs a good start in the morning.”
I’m ashamed to say that I ate it all. I avoided the Chicken fried steak for breakfast because another guy ordered that and came out on its own plate. The Omelet was as large as the chicken fried steak, the potatoes had their plate and bacon/toast had its own plate. As you point out -3 plate breakfast. The biscuits and gravy looked good but I avoided that. So I’m finished with breakfast, ready to attempt to stand and pay when the lady said, “Wait, you haven’t had your scone” – freshly fried dough with butter and honey.
Yeah, and if you hadn’t cleaned your plate as mamma would have it they’d send you on your way with the remainder. I’m not one to leave anything on the plate, but as I get older I’ve discovered that even as a “high fuel model with a hollow leg” my intake needs less. I think we get more fuel efficient as we gain seasons.
But a fried “scone”…I’ll take two for the road, please and thank you.
For the historical record, I didn’t need to eat it all. I wanted to eat it all. And then I had to stay awake when all I wanted was an early Sunday morning nap.
The world needs hero’s with convictions…gotta go for it once in a while, consequences be damned.
I’m a one coney guy now.
6oz sirloin, etc.
I hit level 70 in the game of life today.
A birthday! Nicely done!
A septuagenarian. Only 30 more years to the Century.
Hope they’re as good as the last 30 :)
Congrats! May your cake and ice cream be so good you added 5 pounds to your weight :)
Done !)
Many happy returns!
WHERE WAS THIS???????
Please……..
For several months in a row in the summer of 2020 and on, there were Violent Riots, Looting, Burning & Vandalism and Destruction of Businesses and Public Property to the Tune of Billions of Dollars and Attacks on Law Enforcement and Death. Total unchecked anarchy ! These were all condoned and encouraged by the democrats who in many cases bailed the culprits out.
Then for about 3 hours on January 6th. there was a peaceful protest with no fires, no looting, no destruction and no death EXCEPT the murder of an innocent unarmed female protester named Ashli Babbitt !
For political reasons & with complete falsehood, the Democrats and the DOJ and the MSM have compared J6 to Pear Harbor and 911 ! The democrats call it as the “ biggest threat to our democracy” !
Presently, the biggest threat to democracy are the democrats & their allies in the fake MSM .
Nothing could be further from the truth !
This was all calculated to harass Donald Trump after leaving office and in order to have excuses to persecute him and stop him
from running for office again !
And here is another classic example of democrats accusing their opponents, in this case, Donald Trump, of their actions & illicit behavior !
Just like Jack Smith, this judge, is corrupt and bought and totally paid for by the DNC & the DOJ !
This is shameful interference with Free Speech and a Fair Trial as well as Fair Elections !!
In 2020 they hid the Hunter Biden laptop with all of The Biden family Bribes and the Corruption and now they are acting above the law by treating Donald Trump unfairly and unjustly and beneath the law.
All this to Cheat him Again in running for President and winning !
Infuriating to say the least. Add to that the Maui debacle, which, like Palestine, OH, it too is starting to look like a prescribed Op to distract from The _Resident’s treasonous criminal actions while further reducing Nov. 2024 to be set up as a selection process that, afterward, the R’s will once again be late to the game while spouting off how “they will get those cheaters”. Only nothing will happen. Nothing but talk, and talk is cheap.
Maui is being ignored by the MSM and The White House and Congress. Proves they could give a s–t about the little people, murdered or not, if they don’t meet a certain idiotic diversity class rating.
Brings to mind that line in Dave:
He’s an ordinary person…I can kill an ordinary person…I can kill 100 ordinary people.
They are. And it’s always the same Party.
I don’t think that anyone is surprised to see the weaponized DOJ/FBI behaving like they were in a tin pot third-world country.
Recently the FBI murdered a 75 year old man in Provo, UT while “serving a warrant”. Whatever the ‘spin doctors’ come up with, his neighbors say his physical health was so bad he could hardly walk two blocks to church.
My question is, where the hell was the county sheriff and city police? Push comes to shove, a county sheriff is the ultimate law enforcement in the county and all federal agents are subordinate to the county sheriff.
Speculation on my part. In a tight LDS neighborhood, church members could have talked the man into surrendering peacefully.
Another one that smelled to high-heaven…that was quickly memory-holed.
What will this week bring? Will some obscure town have another toxic train derailment or will a propane yard explode or a chicken farm burn to the ground? Never know with this bunch.
More on that here on VM tomorrow.
The FBI routinely does not include the sheriff or police in its raids. Traditionally, law enforcement has uniformed officers at the service of a search warrant to convince those on the receiving end that it’s not just guys in windbreakers.
Now in many parts of the country, the Sheriff or Police Chief might want to read the S/W Affidavit showing probable cause and I guarantee that the FBI wouldn’t want to let them do that. Certainly in this case, you could have sent a couple of uniformed officers to the door to have a chat with the “Trump Supporter” rather than making a dynamic entry and killing the crippled old man and beating up the blind son that he cared for.
Maui Additional: Brother just told me he’s read direct reports from residents that they have been “having difficulty filing insurance claims due to lockdowns then immediately getting calls from “developers” to buy their property”. Other in situ reports from residents whose homes were not affected are being told to leave, effectively being forcibly evicted by TPTB. The new Amerika…you own nothing (according to them).
Disgusting doesn’t begin to describe…and this smells royally.
The problem in Maui today is that there is no advocate to care for people who have just been wiped out. Trusting the government there is a fool’s game. Selling short to a developer is no strategy, but you know that a lot of people may have no choice.
The little guy always gets crushed.
This same comment was left on my blog by “anonymous”.
Hmmm. Apropos of nothing in particular, is the word “agent” in agent provocateur pronounced Murrikun to rhyme with “say bent” or is it all Froggy as in “ah-ZHON”? Just curious….
I always try to make it sound French.
Summer temps in Maricopa County: looks pretty normal to me.
Get away from the heat sink of the city and it would be a few degrees cooler.
I worked in commercial roofing back in the 80’s and I recall it being in the teens throughout the summer. I remember that the local news weather segments would keep a tally of how many consecutive days of temps over 100 without rain, it usually got to around 30-40 or so before the monsoon would set in.
When I was in elementary school in Mesa, AZ, I remember a week when the nights didn’t go below 110. Normal AZ weather, and as you point out, now, with relief from monsoons.
Interesting temperature map. Wonder if the data comes from ground stations or satellite data.
After it hits about 95 my description is just “hot”.
Southern Cooking: Butter, bacon, batter = deep fried art. I love that! I need a career change.
I told you to stay off those poles, LL, you don’t have the chesticles for it. Nobody likes a show off with bad knees.
Why don’t you try turmeric tea? Not as good as English tea but it’s very good for inflammation.
Add a teaspoon of turmeric to 4 cups of hot water and simmer for 10 minutes. Pure turmeric powder, grated turmeric, or ground, dried turmeric all work well.
If any flakes, grains or pieces of turmeric remain, strain the tea before drinking it or you’ll get bits in your teeth and look wildly unattractive.
Also try adding other spices or sweeteners to the tea such as:
* 1 tsp of honey
* 1 tsp of ground cinnamon for pizazz and extra anti-inflammatory effects
* fresh or dried ginger ( not Prince Harry) for zing-a-ling and more anti-inflammatory effects
* freshly squeezed juice from a lemon or orange cos you can’t put milk in it without things getting nasty.
If that doesn’t work add co- codamol and single malt whisky.
Special tea – can it be served over a glass filled with crushed ice with a lemon wedge?
Jules, southern cooking would be accepted in Old Blighty but you’d need to secure AMERICAN bacon to serve to your customers. British food (and continental food) is often SMALL FOOD. They would need to learn to expect a “chicken fried steak that’s as big as their ass” – which is the standard in the South. An omelet is made with 5 or 6 XL eggs and is accompanied by two pounds of fried hashed potatoes on a separate platter.
(to other readers) Jules has been with me when she was served food in the American South in appropriate quantities. I recall her first chicken fried steak, a three-platter meal, which was easily 2’x1′, covered in delicious gravy. I forced her to accept tea over ice. It came in a 1/2 gallon glass. So she knows even though she’s from the land of SMALL FOOD.
I recall a different situation where I took a Russian out to eat BBQ and they served two racks of baby-back ribs (I recall it was another three platter meal). Said Siberian said in broken Russian, “IS HALF A PIG!” The Russians apparently don’t appreciate a proper meal either.
Used to take the Russians out to dinner when they were on base for START inspections. Eyes would bug open when the smallest steak on the menu was 16 ounces. BBQ was the same way.
Finding food in Russia can be a problem depending on where you are. A single scrawny chicken breast, poached with like a fork full of meat from the whole thing can be the main course in Moscow and they trot it out like you should be amazed.
That chicken fried steak was insanely big! Good food though. And even better with heart attack potatoes, an ice cream float and a jar of bacon as a chaser!
C’mon, admit it…it’s okay…we understand the slight hesitation…but…you know you want to move to The Colonies, which includes enormous platters of food with gallons of sweet tea with ice. As a bonus incentive we “the unwashed heathens” do have access to Earl Gray for colder months. Win!Win!
I addicted Jules to root beer floats…my bad
Exposing “small meal” Country folks to the finer beverages in life isn’t necessarily a bad thing. {[:-)
Your food would kill me. I like it way too much. I stayed in TX where everything is even bigger! I don’t know how I survived it!
I’ll take your Earl Grey over any iced tea malarkey. Though y’all need to get kettles in so it can be made properly. All my residences in America had only coffee machines and I had to boil water in a saucepan to make my tea!
Point taken. Must be a generational thing to exclude the kitchen kettle (or as we Heathens say, tea pot). Mom always had one sitting on the stove, but that could be some English heritage taking over). Nowadays they are an electric appliance sitting on the counter…you know…an EV Kettle of sorts but without batteries…because batteries don’t work for such items but apparently do for transportation…right before they self-immolate.
Sidebar: We may be the “Unwashed Heathen Colonies” but we’re not as heathenistic as that British Penal Colony, Australia…we’re sort of in the middle, so by comparison, not as bad as them, per se (pinky finger extended while sipping my coffee).
Got to ride a Caribou from Kwajalein island to Meck island. Great STOL capabilities. Loved the flight. Was fun touring the only active upgraded ABM site (Meck island, where the Sprint and Spartan missiles were tested against incoming reentry vehicles.) Ah, the summer of ’72.
I’ve never been on a USAF flight like that when the in-flight rations had not been stripped of everything good by the aircrew. You open the flimsy cardboard box and there’s one can of something from WW2 or the Korean War in it that nobody in the regular crew would eat. I learned to pack my own grub for flights before I left. The era of MREs in a sealed pouch might have stopped some of the pilferage to some extent. I don’t know. To this day, I pack food for the flight unless it’s a first-class ride on a common carrier where the food is usually good.
I thought the paint scheme on the Caribou was because biden had chosen it as the new Air Force 1. And he was changing “Hail to the Chief” to “Send in the Clowns”.
That works too.
I was reminded of this tune by Mr. Zevon as the latest firehose insanity overshadows the prior week’s goodness…Oliver Anthony is now back-burnered by more distraction because he hit too close to the bony truth:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKscd2LkSZk
(Appropriate, but only the ‘good’ lawyers…)
After years of abuse on my knees, I had my right one taken out on the Kansas turnpike trying to stop some dolt from driving his jazzy scooter into the ditch to check on his wife’s condition. I kept him from rolling over but it cost me my knee. Had a total replacement, but after 6 weeks with my physical terrorist, the swelling never went down. The surgeon suggested that we may need to drain it, but then refused to do it, worried about introducing infection into it. I told him I would have my 73 year old still practicing large animal veterinarian brother do it for me. The hot shot surgeon about stroked out. Two years later it is mostly back to normal. My DVM brother has been my PCP since 1973. I hear hips are a quicker recovery time. I wish you the best.
My knees are not in great shape, having abused them for years, but now hips are a larger issue. And I don’t want the replacement botched as you’ve experienced with your knee.
Try nature sunshine everflex and msm, add in turmeric. That’ll help all the joints. Takes a good month till it’s noticably improved. This was recommended by neuroscientist who proscribed taking same full time if any joint issues.
If this is cartilage related Stem Cell may be the better option. I call them The God Cells (blank, have a homing device, become the cells need be, from ones marrow or adipose tissue (fat). They are not about “cloning’ (stupid chicken little comment by media).
MrsPaulM was involved with the Equine and Canine side of development (much more latitude and ability to determine procedures and testing). She cured a Navicular horse that otherwise was slated for the great beyond. Stem Cell has multiple capabilities that are not available for the human med side, but worth a look-see over surgery. MSM, Hyaluronic Acid, et al – also used in animals – are very helpful, but Stem Cell fixes the problem, albeit still an expensive procedure.
Addendum: I limped along for a couple of years on steroid shots in the hip and that worked OK and I could have kept going for probably a few more years with minimal to no pain. But the hip was not going to get better and who knows if there will be someone or someplace to do the surgery in a year or two?? Want to be able to scoot if I need to shoot and gimping along like Walter Brennan in Rio Bravo would make one a target I think.
Received a series of steroid shots in my late teens/early 20’s. As a result I got cataracts when I was in my 40’s. Only found out after the fact that getting cataracts is one of the side effects of steroid injections. On the plus side, my vision improved after the cataract surgery.
There is a lot of first-hand information here on the blog.
Can confirm. I have a nice cataract (OD) brewing after the steroids from chemotherapy. On the plus side the ophthalmology resident they scrambled to see me was a former beauty queen (and graduated first in her class from a top med school) but all things considered I’d rather not have the eye issues.
With someone that good looking in the office, of course you want to have excellent eyesight :)
Yep, we need a few more Belle Boyds! I ‘think’ the Bou is delivering Christmas in Vietnam with a USO tour…