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Meanwhile in Texoma........

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Volkonski
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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#26

Post by Volkonski »



Jordan Fabian
@Jordanfabian
CDC's Walensky: " At this level of cases, with variants spreading, we stand to completely lose the hard-earned ground we have gained...Now is not the time to relax the critical safeguards that we know can stop the spread of COVID-19 in our communities, not when we are so close"
“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
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Volkonski
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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#27

Post by Volkonski »



Fort Bend ISD
@FortBendISD
Fort Bend ISD will continue to require masks and facial coverings in all schools and District facilities, following today’s announcement that the Governor is lifting the statewide mandate effective March 10, 2021.



Conroe ISD
@ConroeISD
In light of Governor Abbott’s announcement ,
@ConroeISD
is seeking additional guidance from the TEA regarding safety measures and health standards in place. All safety protocols will remain in effect in
@ConroeISD
schools and facilities until further clarification is obtained.
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“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
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Volkonski
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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#28

Post by Volkonski »

Its 73F on the patio as Gunga Dinna (aka Mrs. V.) waters in yesterday's lawn treatment chemicals. My wife is a compulsive irrigator. ;)

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“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#29

Post by Volkonski »

The Library of Congress has finally digitized my great grandfather's book 'Live boys in Oregon: or, An Oregon boyhood'. I knew about the book but never could find a copy. He was born in Oregon in 1855 and wrote this book when he was 41 and a Methodist minister in Boston.

https://www.loc.gov/resource/dcmsiabook ... 84,1.762,0
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OK, have read the 1st four pages. Wow! My great grandfather's grandparents to be and their son traveled to Oregon from Arkansas in 1852 by covered wagon. It took 6 months. Just short of their intended final stopping location, cholera struck the wagon train and my great grandfather's father's parents both died and were buried along the Oregon Trail.

In those 4 pages my GGF compared that trip to the comfortable 6 day railroad trip (with clean sheets and good food) for the same journey possible when he was writing.

More soon.
“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#30

Post by Tiredretiredlawyer »

Fascinating!!!!! Oregon Trail was Firstborn Son's favorite video game when he was 9. Where in Arkansas did their journey begin? We might be kissin' cuzzins!
"Mickey Mouse and I grew up together." - Ruthie Tompson, Disney animation checker and scene planner and one of the first women to become a member of the International Photographers Union in 1952.
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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#31

Post by Volkonski »

Tiredretiredlawyer wrote: Thu Mar 04, 2021 10:14 am Fascinating!!!!! Oregon Trail was Firstborn Son's favorite video game when he was 9. Where in Arkansas did their journey begin? We might be kissin' cuzzins!
Benton County, Arkansas.
“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#32

Post by Tiredretiredlawyer »

Volkonski wrote: Thu Mar 04, 2021 1:03 pm
Tiredretiredlawyer wrote: Thu Mar 04, 2021 10:14 am Fascinating!!!!! Oregon Trail was Firstborn Son's favorite video game when he was 9. Where in Arkansas did their journey begin? We might be kissin' cuzzins!
Benton County, Arkansas.
North Srkansas on the Missouri border. Walmart country! No relation.
"Mickey Mouse and I grew up together." - Ruthie Tompson, Disney animation checker and scene planner and one of the first women to become a member of the International Photographers Union in 1952.
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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#33

Post by Volkonski »

I am halfway thru the book.

My great grandfather was born and lived his early years in a one room log cabin that was built by his teenaged parents on a square mile of land that they got via some sort of homesteading scheme. A fireplace was their only source of heat (for both warmth and cooking) and light.

This was about 100 miles south of Portland in the Willamette Valley. They lived by farming, hunting and fishing. In those days people were few in that area so it was relatively easy to get enough to eat by hunting and fishing. That would change as more settlers arrived. When my GGF was writing the book in the 1890's that way of life in that area had ended.

As the eldest of 13 children my GGF often accompanied his father on hunting and fishing trips. Later when they had established an orchard they would take wagon loads of apples and pears to northern California to sell them to the prospectors who paid them with gold dust.

In summer the family would attend religious camp meetings where they lived in tents. During berry season they would camp out in burned forests where berry plants grew in profusion. They would can the berries right there using open fires and then have jam thru the winter.

My GGF was taught to read and do arithmetic first by his mother and then in the local school where the school year lasted only 3 months. The teacher moved during the year to different communities to teach and lived as a boarder with local families when school was in session. My GGF's 1st teacher left the school in 1862 to join the military for service in the northwest as regular army soldiers were sent east to fight the Confederates.

On the farm they smoked meats, mostly pork and deer. Once a year or so my GGF's father would take a wagon load of bacon or chickens to Portland and buy items like sugar and coffee which were cheaper there than in the local small general store.
“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#34

Post by Volkonski »

When my GGF was writing this book his daughter, my grandmother, was about 3 or 4 years old. At that time they lived in Boston so my grandmother did not grow up in Oregon. I presume she read this book at some point but when I knew her she did not have a copy.

The other books by my GGF that I have read tell of doings of his adult life in the east or address social and religious matters. Until now I did not know that his early life was so rustic.
“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#35

Post by Volkonski »

Greg Abbott's demagoguery and deflections are putting Texans at risk

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/h ... socialflow
Give the governor some credit: unlike many high-profile Republicans, he didn’t spend the week grandstanding about Dr. Seuss.

But that’s about the best that can be said about his performance during last month’s winter freeze and ensuing blackout, which left dozens dead and millions of Texans without power or water for days. The breakdown of the power grid in the nation’s second most populous state is surely something Abbott would prefer others forgot about.

The governor on Tuesday announced that he would lift the statewide mask mandate he issued in July, as well as “opening Texas 100 percent.” This made Texas the largest state to reopen to date, and one of the few to do so completely, so far.

Some on the right — who for months have been chafing against mask requirements and the oppression they supposedly represent — were pleased by this news. But on balance, Abbott’s announcement didn’t go over as well as he might have expected, for the simple reason that — according to our exhausted public health experts — it’s simply too soon to stop wearing masks indoors and in public areas.
“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#36

Post by Tiredretiredlawyer »

Tiredretiredlawyer wrote: Thu Mar 04, 2021 3:09 pm
Volkonski wrote: Thu Mar 04, 2021 1:03 pm
Tiredretiredlawyer wrote: Thu Mar 04, 2021 10:14 am Fascinating!!!!! Oregon Trail was Firstborn Son's favorite video game when he was 9. Where in Arkansas did their journey begin? We might be kissin' cuzzins!
Benton County, Arkansas.
North Arkansas on the Missouri border. Walmart country! No relation.
"Mickey Mouse and I grew up together." - Ruthie Tompson, Disney animation checker and scene planner and one of the first women to become a member of the International Photographers Union in 1952.
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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#37

Post by Tiredretiredlawyer »

Volkonski wrote: Thu Mar 04, 2021 5:28 pm When my GGF was writing this book his daughter, my grandmother, was about 3 or 4 years old. At that time they lived in Boston so my grandmother did not grow up in Oregon. I presume she read this book at some point but when I knew her she did not have a copy.

The other books by my GGF that I have read tell of doings of his adult life in the east or address social and religious matters. Until now I did not know that his early life was so rustic.
His log cabin days are reminiscent of Laura Ingalls Wilder's.
"Mickey Mouse and I grew up together." - Ruthie Tompson, Disney animation checker and scene planner and one of the first women to become a member of the International Photographers Union in 1952.
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Volkonski
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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#38

Post by Volkonski »

That was a miserable two weeks of winter last month but spring is here at long last. :)
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Of course there is a downside.

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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#39

Post by Volkonski »

Patsy’s House aims to raise awareness for child abuse with inaugural Save Jane event

https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/lo ... socialflow

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Officials with Patsy’s House Children’s Advocacy Center announced Monday their inaugural Save Jane event in an effort to raise awareness of the nearly 3000 children abused in the Wichita Falls area last year.

The event will be held at 1411 10th Street in Wichita Falls beginning at noon on Thursday, April 1, 2021.

For six hours straight, volunteers from around Wichita Falls will read the names and ages of almost 3000 children who were reported as abused in Wichita County and the surrounding counties in 2020.

Because these children are minors and their identities must be protected, “Jane Doe” and “John Doe” will be used in place of their names.
Our daughter the teacher has already made one referral to CPS this year. :( Some of our lawyer SIL's practice involves being a child advocate in CPS court cases. Still I would not have guessed there would be 3000 cases in just one year.
“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#40

Post by Volkonski »

The local junior college. :)



Newschannel 6
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Vernon College will continue to require masks on campus for the remainder of the semester.
“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#41

Post by Volkonski »

Wichita County will keep requiring masks in county buildings

https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/lo ... buildings/
Wichita County commissioners announced Monday that masks will be required inside all county buildings until June 1.

County Judge Woody Gossom said it was approved so the policy would be uniform.

Gov. Greg Abbott is lifting the statewide mask mandate on March 10. However, hospitals, government buildings, colleges, airports, and private businesses such as “big box” retailers can continue to enforce the use of face masks, if they see fit.
“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#42

Post by Volkonski »

Our city is home to over 50 colorful life-sized horse statues. Last October one of these, a memorial to a slain middle school student, was stolen.
ScreenHunter_359 Mar. 09 15.32.jpg
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Today-

Two teens indicted for theft of ‘Forever’ horse statue in October 2020

https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/lo ... ource=t.co
Two teens have been indicted in Wichita County in connection to the theft of a memorial horse statue that was stolen from in front of McNiel Middle School in October 2020.

The statue, named “Forever”, honored slain McNiel student Lauren Landavazo and her friend Makayla Smith, who was wounded.

Tyler Darland and Zachary Kaiser were indicted for theft over $2,500. Two other suspects were also named in that theft.

Snip-

The ‘Forever’ horse was cut from it’s place in front of McNiel Middle School in early October 2020.
More WF horse statues here-

https://www.themaneevent.org/
“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#43

Post by Volkonski »

I was sitting on the patio this morning when the truck came to empty the dumpster in the alley behind our house. The truck is quite large (that's a 6 foot fence) and makes a lot of noise lifting the dumpster and banging it a few times to empty it.

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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#44

Post by AndyinPA »

We have one of those dumpsters at the ball field across the street from us. For some reason, they often empty them about 11 PM, which has never made any sense to me. And, yes, they are noisy. :roll:
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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#45

Post by Frater I*I »

AndyinPA wrote: Tue Mar 09, 2021 9:26 pm We have one of those dumpsters at the ball field across the street from us. For some reason, they often empty them about 11 PM, which has never made any sense to me. And, yes, they are noisy. :roll:
School behind my house is at 0300, usually sharp, didn't matter much when I was working vampire hours, but now that I have class at 0800...
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He's got the answers to ease my curiosity, He dreamed a god up and called it Christianity"

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Volkonski
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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#46

Post by Volkonski »

Frater I*I wrote: Tue Mar 09, 2021 9:59 pm
AndyinPA wrote: Tue Mar 09, 2021 9:26 pm We have one of those dumpsters at the ball field across the street from us. For some reason, they often empty them about 11 PM, which has never made any sense to me. And, yes, they are noisy. :roll:
School behind my house is at 0300, usually sharp, didn't matter much when I was working vampire hours, but now that I have class at 0800...
Our dumpster is done about 9 AM. :P
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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#47

Post by Foggy »

I have to roll our trash bins 119 meters (that's 130 yards for you Americans) to the end of our driveway, the longest distance of any home in the whole development.

On the bright side, it's hard to hear the trucks that come along and empty them. :|
Out from under. :thumbsup:
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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#48

Post by Maybenaut »

Foggy wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 6:48 am I have to roll our trash bins 119 meters (that's 130 yards for you Americans) to the end of our driveway, the longest distance of any home in the whole development.

On the bright side, it's hard to hear the trucks that come along and empty them. :|
We have to put our trash in the back of our pick-em-up truck and drive it to the landfill, about 2 miles away. But it's free.
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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#49

Post by Azastan »

Volkonski wrote: Tue Mar 09, 2021 4:39 pm Our city is home to over 50 colorful life-sized horse statues. Last October one of these, a memorial to a slain middle school student, was stolen.

ScreenHunter_359 Mar. 09 15.32.jpg

Today-

Two teens indicted for theft of ‘Forever’ horse statue in October 2020

https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/lo ... ource=t.co
Two teens have been indicted in Wichita County in connection to the theft of a memorial horse statue that was stolen from in front of McNiel Middle School in October 2020.

The statue, named “Forever”, honored slain McNiel student Lauren Landavazo and her friend Makayla Smith, who was wounded.

Tyler Darland and Zachary Kaiser were indicted for theft over $2,500. Two other suspects were also named in that theft.

Snip-

The ‘Forever’ horse was cut from it’s place in front of McNiel Middle School in early October 2020.
More WF horse statues here-

https://www.themaneevent.org/
The horses are fabulous! Glad to hear that 'Forever' was recovered. Guess the thieves thought a barn was a great place to hide a horse.
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Volkonski
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Re: Meanwhile in Texoma........

#50

Post by Volkonski »

Well, I've heard it said that the best place to hide a tree is in a forest. ;)
“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
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