Been a long time, folks.

[The Walker]

Well folks, it has been quite some time since I have posted. You olden timers will remember Don V and Vicky, I believe. Life goes an and we drifted away from the board.

I am up late as I have some cattle in early calving and Jose' and myself are taking turns being on call.

Vicky is still asleep I think. She'll bestir herself about daylight and see to real breakfast with Maria. We guys have been sort of snacking off and on but we'll be ready for a good breakfast. Breakfast lumpia can't be beat, with fried taters and buttermilk biscuits and sausage gravy and flapjacks and bacon and ham and the rest. When full calving starts and we have a large crew of hands in Vicky will hire help for the kitchen to feed the crews. She has a restaurant-quality kitchen in the home but peeling enough potatoes to feed a crew of hungry farm hands is a bit much for two women.

So, how have things gone with us? Very well indeed. Vicky has her green card now and is quite at home here. In fact, she did an excellent job of looking after the homestead while I was recalled to duty after 09/11 (just got home a little while back, in fact). She did an amazing job, along with Jose', of managing the place and the business. I am quite proud of her. She is much happier now that I have returned in one piece. She is trying to fatten me up to her standards as I did lose weight while gone. She doesn't want me fat, but if I show too many bones she takes it as a personal challenge. Her idea of healthy and mine differ by about 10 pounds.

For those of you who remember Mr. Mayor of my tales, he was also recalled and just returned the other day to the delight of Mrs. Mayor. Now that things have settled down we're letting the young fellers take over the business for us. To tell the truth, I'm getting far too old for this s**t. Time for me to relax and enjoy. But as long as you're in the cattle business, there is no rest for the weary. But I'm now, along with Jose', just bossing the operation and except for calving we don't get too involved in the rough and tumble with the cattle. We hire young fellers for that.

Vicky is even more the perfect wife. Even more beautiful than the day I met her. Just as apt to cram the house to the gills with staples such as rice, toilet paper, detergent, you name it. I think Filipinas are closely related to pack rats. But I never have to worry about it so I just enjoy. She has hired on a permanent maid/housekeeper/whathaveyou. Maria is geting up there and except for lunch, or all meals during calving, she just looks after Jose'  and the chickens on a regular basis. Of course during canning season they all work like we do during calving. The new woman is just fine. A good worker and pleasant. Vicky allows her to do most of the housework except for our personal laundry. She doen't mind her doing the linens and towels but I don't think she likes the idea of another woman touching my underwear. Of course they collaborate on meals. I am glad for the help, as this is a largish home for two people and needs a lot of cleaning. I am trying to get her to hire on another woman and just let Vicky do the cooking for the two of us and the personal laundry. Not like we can't afford it. Decent domestic help is fairly priced here. We'll see.

For those of you who are new, Vicky is close to my own age. A few years younger (a little less than 5). She comes from an excellent family in the Philippines, greater Manila in fact. Her uncle is the head of the family and their family business and yes, he is still alive and kicking. They have an office in the city not too far from my place. Vicky is quite beautiful, young-looking and very intelligent. She speaks several languages and was her uncle's personal secretary before we married. She is also very affectionate and a loving wife. We have no children together but she loves my grown daughters and adores my grandson. In all cases the feelings are mutual. I am a happy man.

So that sort of catches you up on us. I'll try to post here occasionally now, depending on our personal lives and business.

- The Walker

[Howard]

... in response to Been a long time, folks., posted by The Walker on Mar 13, 2002

Don,

GOOD to hear from ya!  Of course we remember you guys, it hasn't been THAT long :c)

Glad to hear everything is going so well and that you're now safely home :c)

Drop in from time to time, personally I always found your posts informative and enjoyable ;c)

Keep the Faith!

H

[Bear]

... in response to Been a long time, folks., posted by The Walker on Mar 13, 2002

I knew you probably got called up.  Honey and I discussed it a few weeks ago.  Glad all's working well for you and Vicki.

Bear and Honey

[The Walker]

... in response to Hey guy!!, posted by Bear on Mar 13, 2002

Yeah, it was pretty rough for a while. At first they were like the gang that couldn't shoot straight, the Alliance, that is. Imagine this conversation between an Alliance fighter on the ground and an American aircraft.

"American aiplane, do you hear me?"
"YES"
"It is time to bomb the other area now."
"WHICH AREA?"
"The area where the enemy are located, of course."
"GIVE LOCATION"
"I told you, where the enemy are."
"GIVE MAP COORDINATES"
"How can I give you a map when you are in the air?"
"GIVE DIRECTIONS"
"Do you remember where you bombed last?"
"YES"
"Not there."

I kid you not. In the early days it was like that. That was why our accuracy was off to begin with. Once we got enough of our own people on the ground to direct strikes the Taliban stopped laughing. These Alliance guys weren't dumb, but since most of them had never had hot running water they had no idea how to deal with 21st century warfighting technology. It was all star wars to them.

The Taliban aren't cowards. Their leaders are but not the average grunt. To think so is to set yourself for a tail-whipping. They are tough, experienced fighters who could give a darn less if they live or die so long as they can take a few of you with them. That makes them extremely dangerous and tenacious fighters. Hand to hand they are fanatical. There is little or no surrender, mostly you just have to kill them. Like Iwo Jima. A war of extermination. Not pretty, not brave, not glamorous. Dirty, smelly, scary, bloody. Recent events in the area are proving this out. I am glad we are able to get them together in one area where we can really work on them. If they stayed dispersed it would be the devil getting rid of them.

-Don

[Jimbo]

... in response to Re: Hey guy!!, posted by The Walker on Mar 14, 2002

..the media over here ran stories of how the Alliance fighters were impatient with the progress of the bombing, and stories with the Alliance complaining about bombers hitting the wrong ridge and the like.  CNN gave the impression that it was bumbling on our part; no surprise there, they also had reporters being escorted around by Taliban supporters showcasing civilian casualties.

Jim

[BrianN]

... in response to Hey guy!!, posted by Bear on Mar 13, 2002

Better yet, why not we all raise a toast and say "THANKS! Don and Vicky".

The rest of us fools never heard anything like that, (from our efforts during the cw and prior), just do it to try to make things right...

a thought anyway.  I'm lucky I'm not tied up as a reservist, but I'd jump at the chance right now to go kill a few taliban's for mommy.  :-)

[Jimbo]

... in response to Been a long time, folks., posted by The Walker on Mar 13, 2002

like when Vicky climbs up on top of a 800lb. bull!  Heck, I reckon she's down in the lower 40 right now, chasing off the Paiutes )))

Welcome back Don!

Jim

[The Walker]

... in response to I been missin' those tales,, posted by Jimbo on Mar 13, 2002

Actually, this very minute, she's in the kitchen starting real breakfast. Sourdough biscuits this morning, yum. Hash browns, french toast, grits and sausage patties. Scrambled eggs today. And applesauce with spices.

She and the bull still get along quite well. She still takes the veggie leftovers out to him and he follows her around like a puppy as a result. Leftover flapjacks, fried potatoes, french toast, waffles. She'd have him quartered in the living room if she could, I think. Oh, and he goes closer to 1500 pounds than 800. He's a big boy. He sure did do his business well. No lost calves at all so far. All the cows are heavy and carrying to term it looks like.

-Don

[Ray]

... in response to Been a long time, folks., posted by The Walker on Mar 13, 2002

Hi Don!

It's good to hear that you are still alive and kicking, and keeping your cholesterol level up :-)

Ray

[Dave H]

... in response to Been a long time, folks., posted by The Walker on Mar 13, 2002

Hi Don and Vicky,

It's great to read your post! I often wondered how you folks were doing. I'm happy to learn that things are going very well. I always enjoy both of your posts. Please don't be strangers!

Dave H.

[donb2222]

... in response to Been a long time, folks., posted by The Walker on Mar 13, 2002

Hi Don,
 Welcome back, and it is great to hear from you again.
Your timing is good, there have been some guys that have been requesting to hear the success stories, and yours is certainly one of them.
Hopefully you can post more often now that you have returned home.

Take care,

Don