Openin Walleye on Oneida Lake....

Well Sir....we had some foul weather blow through the area so the walleye fishin was a might on the rough side....seems like evry year on openin day we get a little wind & waves. Here's a picture of what it was like....

Now this here lake...Oneida Lake...is known fer its high waves and rough sea's...that's cause...as lakes go, its a relatively shallow lake with many bars and shoals. Overall...the lake has an East- West orientation...and the wind..usually comin from the west...tends to make some pretty good sized waves by the time a wave travels the full 22 miles of the lake. It also don't help when a body of water 20 to 30 feet deep being pushed by a high wind...suddenly comes up into 4 to 6 feet deep water on the shoals...makes fer some nasty waves as well..it duz. Hardly a year goes by that this here Lake don't take at least one life...usually a boater or fisherman that is unfamiliar about how treacherous the waters here-bouts can be.

Now...the upside is that Oneida Lake is one a the best Walleye, Bass and Perch fishin lakes in the nation...drawin fisherman frum all of the country. There's almost always a tournament of some kind a goin on.....

Oneida Lake played an important part during the French & Indian wars...as well as the Revolutionary War. It was a travel route fer a British campaigns going to Fort Stanwicks near Rome, NY....and there was Fort Brewerton which was built on the west end of the lake in and around the French & Indian war....and...if'n y'all can find em...there be a historic boat or two on the bottom...as well as large Great Lakes Tug Boat sank in the early 40's during a storm not unlike todays.....

Well...so much fer the mini history lesson bout this here area....

GONE FISHIN.........

Today is Opening Day for Walleye Pike in New York State and Oneida Lake....so....being the avid fisherman I am...guess what.....GONE FISHIN.......

P.S....thats not me in the picture...I wish it was...thats a dandy....

...And the beat goes on...and the beat goes on... IAD Investigation needed....

Well Sir...the following is frum The Drudge Report:

KENNEDY CAR CRASH COVER-UP? Thu May 04 2006 17:12:05 ET Police labor union officials asked acting Chief Christopher McGaffin this afternoon to allow a Capitol Police officer to complete his investigation into an early-morning car crash involving Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), son of Sen. Ted Kennedy.ROLL CALL reports:

According to a letter sent by Officer Greg Baird, acting chairman of the USCP FOP, the wreck took place at approximately 2:45 a.m. Thursday when Kennedy's car, operating with its running lights turned off, narrowly missed colliding with a Capitol Police cruiser and smashed into a security barricade at First and C streets Southeast.“The driver exited the vehicle and he was observed to be staggering,” Baird’s letter states. Officers approached the driver, who “declared to them he was a Congressman and was late to a vote. The House had adjourned nearly three hours before this incident.

It was Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy from Rhode Island.”Baird wrote that Capitol Police Patrol Division units, who are trained in driving under the influence cases, were not allowed to perform basic field sobriety tests on the Congressman. Instead, two sergeants, who also responded to the accident, proceeded to confer with the Capitol Police watch commander on duty and then “ordered all of the Patrol Division Units to leave the scene and that they were taking over.”

A source tells the DRUDGE REPORT: "It was apparent that the driver was intoxicated (stumbling) and claimed he was in a hurry to make a vote. "When it became apparent who it was, instead of processing a normal DWI, the watch commander had the Patrol units clear the scene. The commander allowed other building officials drive Kennedy home."

This morning's incident comes just over two weeks after Kennedy was involved in a car accident in Rhode Island. "I was involved in a traffic accident last night at First and C Street SE near the U.S. Capitol," Kennedy said in a written statement released by his office. "I consumed no alcohol prior to the incident. I will fully cooperate with the Capitol Police in whatever investigation they choose to undertake."

What is most troubling to this Retired Police Sergeant is the fact that the two "Scene Supervisors" immediately relieved the investigating Officers frum the scene...and then DROVE Mr. Kennedy home. To me...IF... it is true that Mr. Kennedy had indeed been drinking or abusing some uther legal or illegal drug(s)...and I strongly emphasize IF.... and the two Supervisors conspired to protect Mr. Kennedy frum legal ramifications....then this is what is called under New York State Laws...Criminal Facilitation and Obstruction of Governmental Administration (OGA), and I'm sure a few other Penal Law charges as well. I'm sure the DC has similar such laws on the books.....

There most certainly needs to be an immediate and thorough Internal Affairs departmental investigation into these highly unusual actions taken on the part of the two command Supervisors.

Upon first reading the Drudge report myself...I immediately....for some reason I can't explain....got a hankerin fer fish and thought that I needed to get out a good Fish recipee and a white wine recommendation to go along with this post....but I'm sure y'all get the picture. I veiw the actions of the Police Supervisors the real crux of this incident...much more so than IF Mr. Kennedy was involved in an alcohol or drug related incident.....But...I guess thats just my way a thinkin.....Cookie.....

"HUSHAMAGRUNDY" Mystery solved..... YUUUK!.... Got Salted Cod in it.....

Well Sir....fer those a ya that remember...a few posts back I put the wurd out askin anyone...anyone...who might know what "Hushamagrundy" was...please contact me. This was the only wurd I ever "Googled" (sounds dirty don't it?) that came back with "No Match Found".

Well... either no one had ever heard of it...or their research sources also could find nuthin bout it. I even contacted a real good friend a mine in Winnamucca, Nevada who cooks fer a livin...and he never heard bout it either. He contacted many cooks/chefs that he knows and they never heard bout it.

So...totally and completely flumoxxed (thanks Lem)...I capitulated and sent an E-Mail to Miss Fanny LeGrand who is a co-author to "Fanny and Vera's Camp Cookbook"...she being the person who had mentioned that she would make this dish...Hushamagrundy"... at Civil War Re-Enactment get t'gethers. Well Sir...she answered me back yesterday and told me what Hushamagrundy is.....NO THANK YOU!

Here's Miss Fanny's E-Mail to me......and it's really pretty intrestin......read it...

Sorry for the late reply, Cookie, been working against a big deadline and won't be human again until next week.

To make up for it, here is the info on Hushamagrundy and a few other Gold Rush food terms. (I hope to get my notes togethern and write a Gold Rush Cookbook for historical minded folks). I will send my updated and much more palatable version of Hushamagrundy next week.

Remember that the Gold Rushers were not the best cooks (Mom was not there to provide for them) and that the staples they had to work with were dried fish, dried meat, "salt horse" (salt cured beef), hard tack, flour, dried apples, sugar if they were lucky, green coffee beans, rice. This was supplemented with game and wild greens. A tin of oysters was a favored item. Potatoes or any fresh vegetable was manna from heaven.

Hushamagrundy: a Gold Rush era dish of dried or salted cod and vegetables.
The fish was soaked and drained to remove the bulk of the salt then baked, casserole style, on top of chopped vegies. Potatoes and carrots were first choice, but a miner might also break up bits of hard tack in lieu of veggies. A gravy of grease, flour and water or stock might be poured over all.
Yummy. More ballast than cuisine for a hard working miner, but something to put in his potato trap.

A few Gold Rush food terms:
Bush Fish - rattlesnake meat
Dunderfunk - a pudding of hard tack & raisens
Potato trap - your mouth
Charqui - dried meat (jerky)
Salt Horse - salt cured beef
Grunt - fruit baked in dough
Prog - food or supplies
Lobscouse - a hash of salted meat with hard tack

I've updated the recipe a bit to be more tasty, and it makes a great one pot, dutch oven meal. I've never measured the ingredients, but will do my best estimate for the recipe next week.

Keep it hot in the kitchen,
Miss Fanny LaGrande

Now Sir...I was raised in the late 40's and 50's...and every damn Friday night...my mother would make "Creamed Cod Fish" (just writin that made me shiver and I plum got nauseated). I swore by all that was Holy that I would never...ever...have "Creamed Cod Fish" again...and so fer...I've kept m'wurd. Now...nuthin agin yur cookin or recipee Miss Fanny...it's all about the COD!

Now I also be a knowin that there a whole bunch a ya out there a readin this that feels the exact same way and can very vividely remember those damned wooden box...even seein the above picture I tasted "Creamed Cod".....Ahhhh!

So...if'n y'all like anything with Salted Cod in it...this here's yur recipee...if'n yur like me (and quite a few uther folks)...yur gonna stop readin this post right here and now........Adios Amigo's and Amiga's.....Cookie.....

The New Alamo...and ....Bush... headed fer "Carterdom"....

Well Sir...they way I see's it...is that unless'n old Dubya gets off his butt right-real-quick and start's directin Chertoff and others to immediately address the immigration and border situashun's...he's gonna hit approval ratings somewhere equal to...if not lower than... our worst president ever...Jimmy Carter.

Now...I ain't gonna waste yur time tawkin bout and espousin what we all know t'be the case...there's gotta be a couple a hundred other blogs y'all can read all the particulars, facts, figures and so on.....

Suffice it t'say...old GW ain't doin a good job a'tall...and if'n yur a devout GW supporter...well sir...stop rememberin his great responce to 911 and any of the uther good things he done....and start lookin at this here Illegal Immigrant invasion we all gotta deal with.....No Sir GW...because of yur procrastinatin and lack of a timely and affirmative decision....history ain't gonna be rememberin ya kindly at all GW.......and I'm shur...that y'all being frum Texas and all..that ya remember what happened at the last Alamo......

Like I said in the title...he's headed fer "Carterdom" and he damn well better start "Rememberin the Alamo"...... but...I guess thats just my way a thinkin.......Cookie

OK... nuff funnin fer now.... on t'better things....Perlow...

Well Sir....Missie "Buster"...AKA Vicki frum out Kansas way sent this here E-mail to me and I thought it held some country folk (and City folk also I guess) wisdom that needed to be shared.....

Living on Earth is expensive,
but it does include a free trip around the sun every year.

How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on.

Birthdays are good for you; the more you have, the longer you live.

Ever notice that the people who are late are often much jollier than the people who have to wait for them?

If Wal-Mart is lowering prices every day, how come nothing is free yet?

Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Working for God on earth does not pay much,
but His Retirement plan is out of this world.

Now fer some food! I think that by now most a y'all be a know'n that if'n I wanted to...I could publish up a whole bunch of "Gormay" recipee's...and I did do that in the beginnin of this blog...but I was immedjiately contacted by several folks who said "Hey...we ain't no gormets...all we want is simple..plain...everyday recipee's that most folks can be a makin."

So I got the message right frum the get go...and so fer...I've pretty much stuck t'my wurd...and today is no ception.....

This here next recipee is called Perlow...and its basically like Louisiana Jambalaya...but not quite...Here tis...Perlow....

Perlow

3 or 4 chopped onions
4 chopped cloves of Garlic
1-2 cups of Chopped Ham..or Bacon..or Salt Pork
1 can stewed Tomato’s
1 choped Bell Pepper
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Thyme
2 Bay Leaves
Tabasco sauce
2 Cups uncooked Rice
3 lbs of cooked small shrimp…shelled.

Optional Meats

Sausage slices,
Cubed Chicken,
Bite size chunks a Pork

…if using these meats…brown with the Onions and Garlic.

In a Cast Iron Dutch Oven (if you have one), or a large pot, brown up the Onions, Garlic and Bacon (or ham or salt pork). When brown…add the Peppers and Tomato’s. Simmer till the tomatoes are very tender. Add the Salt & Pepper (to Taste), the Thyme, a couple of squirts of Tabasco Sauce (to yur taste), and the Bay leaves.

Also add the Rice and just barely cover everything with water and bring to a boil. Now….add the cooked shrimp and stir into the mixture. Cook until the rice is done (dry & fluffy)

Serve with a real good Tater or Macaroni Salad

I'm Pissed! Enuff Already! ! Just bust their ass's and ship em.....like the "good old days....

Well Sir.....In a post several months back...I tawked bout how arrestin, incarceratin, feedin, taken care of their medical needs and deportin all the ILLEGAL immigrants back to their native countries was going to be astronomically costly...and at that time...I felt that we should give them some kind of option to remain here with immunity and a legitamate and documentable path to citizenship. This idea was based simply in pure economics and logistics....no personal feelings involved...and... I took some heat cause a that article but I stuck t'my guns.

Then...about a month later, I wrote an open letter to G. Dubya and reversed my position because I didn't like what I was see'n with the earlier demonstrations the ILLEGAL immigrants were puttin on...tawkin bout take'n back "Aztlan" and most of the whole southwest United States. Pure radical bullshit...(and extremely disrespectfull t'boot) toward a Nation that has been very good to them....wherever they came frum. In that letter I suggested that the next time these ILLEGAL immigrants publically protest...start takin names and kickin ass.....

Well...nuff's enuff GW...get off yur Texas butt, stop panderin to all the "Big Business" you been holdin hands with...and send in the troops...whether they Law Enforcement, National Guard...whatever. One of the points of todays "boycott" was "to bring our economy to a stand-still" fer a day. That sure sounds like an "attack" t'me!

If'n y'all notice...I keep "bolding" the wurd ILLEGAL ....Duh! The crime has already been commited.....now....USE THE LAWS WE ALREADY HAVE IN PLACE! How in God's name do you, as President of this here United States expect anyone, anywhere...to respect us and the laws of this nation if the laws aren't enforced. For UNACCEPTABLE actions...there must be consequences..and...y'all missed a really great opportunity today to have sent a real clear "Law & Order" message....but we missed it again.

Now...GW...in case one a those high priced aid's a yur's ain't told ya yet...ya see that upside down "Old Glory" a flyin below the Mexican flag in the above picture...well ya see GW old boy....that means DISTRESS...and that's what this nation is in, distress. Even I'm beginning to lose respect fer this country (or at least fer You) and what we stand fer...cause its beginnin t'look like we don't stand fer nuthin.....But....I guess that's just my way a thinkin....one real pissed off Cookie......

"Hillbilly" is a state of mind......

Well Sir...Now Lem over at Hillbilly White Trash is beginin the long involved process of pickin an Offishal Song fer the Hillbilly Ecosystem Hog-Roast...but there be one more thing I'd like t'nominate and that is the Offishal Hillbilly "Code a Conduct"...sometimes known as The Ten Commandments. This here was sent to me by my far-out, deep thinkin Buddy...Doubtin Thomas...and I believes we should give it some consideration...watcha all think....?

:Hillbilly Ten Commandments

Sort of short and right to the point. (Posted on the wall at Cross Trails Church in Gainesboro, TN.)

(1) Just one God.

(2) Honor yer Ma & Pa.

(3) No tellin' tales or gossipin'.

(4) Git yourself to Sunday meetin'.

(5) Put nothin' before God.

(6) No foolin' around with another fellow's gal.

(7) No killin.'

(8) Watch yer mouth.

(9) Don't take what ain't yers.

(10) Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff.

Now that's kinda plain an' simple, don't ya think?

Movin on...earlier this week my buddy Patrick over at Born Agin Redneck expressed some concern that cause he be a livin up in the northern parts of Califonia...and the fact he wasn't born in this here United States...that he might not qualify fer a "Hillbilly"...cause the common perceptshun is that all "Hillbillies" are from the South.

Well Sir....Lem over at Hillbilly White Trash immedjiatly set him straight that since Patrick was born & bred in SOUTH Africa...and y'all don't get much further South than that...he qualifies... point well taken Lem....

I'm just gonna be taken that sentiment a step further. I've traveled this here Country and wurld a might bit more than most folks and here's what I found. Although I live in the northern green country of upstate New York....good folks here-abouts in Bridgeport, NY is just like all the good folks I met in my travels through Talladega, Alabama...and Bristol, Tennessee....or Charlotte and Hickory, North Carolina... Dover, Delaware....Indianapolis and Vincennes, Indiana (Can y'all tell yet that me and the misses is Nascar fans?).

And those good folks above is just like those good folks I met in the "Hollers" of Logan and Chapmanville, Fairmont, Morgantown and Clarksburg West (By God) Virginia.... Kansas City and Oakland Park, Kansas..... Seattle, Washington.... Jefferson City, Poplar Bluff, Springfield, Brookfiled, Chitticothe and Macon, Missourri....or Sitka, Ketchikan and Juneau, Alaska....and yes...even in Detroit, Michigan.

I also met "Hillbilies" in Hilo, Kona, Honolulu, Pearl Harbor and other towns and cities in Hawaii. Now Sir...there also be "Hillbillies" in Cuba... Jamaica... Vancouver and Victoria, BC...the Yukon Territories.... Rota, Spain... Naple, Italy....Holy Loch, Scotland...Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, North Bay, Thunder Bay and Nakina, Canada...and Halifax, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward, Island.....just t'name a few places I met Hillbilies. (Johnny Cash's song.."I been everywhere man" comes t'mind...)

No Sir....geography don't dictate "Hillbilly" status....all ya gotta be is down to earth in yur thinkin, say what y'all mean...and mean what ya say, honest in yur heart and compassionate fer uthers, a help t'yur naybors and a strong commitment to yur family...and most important...be willin t'follow those ten rules of conduct printed above.....but...I guess thats just my way a thinkin......Oh..and BTW...the picture above is a Family Photo of the Hatfield Family (of the infamous Hatfield-McCoy family feud).....Now...if'n y'all will excuse me...I gotta race to go watch at Talledega......Cookie