Archive for June, 2008
While most people decorate their homes with items they purchase at big box retailers or Swedish furniture shops. I’m a huge fan of Americana and instead of cold, stoic home accents, I decided to go with rustic wall decor.
Thanks to the internet, I found some great resources and I’m able to have a dignified and classic look to my home without having to succumb to the overhyped commercial retailers.
One of the greatest times in the history of America were the times of the cowboys – when the west was on the verge of being discovered and civilized – and it’s often thought of in the ways that John Wayne immortalized it. The best way to remember America’s historical days is to outfit your home in cowboy decor.
Both stylish and classic, some cowboot hooks or a stagecoach photo frame could really add some of that old patriotic flavor to your home and recount a time when the world was much simpler.
One of my fondest western images was during the summer of 1951. An Old Timer living at Discovery Bay, Washington, told me, “If you go down to the railroad trestle when the tide comes in, you can catch all the Sea Perch you can carry in a ‘gunny sack.’ ” He told me the fish feed on small sand crabs on the beach and to load my fish hook firmly into the side of the crab, and then cast my line close to the edge of the bank.
My dad was working as a heavy duty mechanic on the road construction crew. They paved the highway from Discovery Bay to Neah Bay, located on the south shore of Puget Sound. At the age of eleven, I went fishing between the hours of 3:00 to 4:00 AM, and provided food for the families of the road crew. With fishing gear and burlap sack in hand, and my dog Queenie at my side, I got up before breakfast and went to work catching Sea Perch.
The rule was, my dad said, “You catch ‘em, you clean ‘em.” I did it, too! As I went from cabin to camper, I presented my catch and was paid for my services. The rewards were much more than money. I learned that salt water sea perch are mammals and do not lay eggs to hatch, a magnificent discovery in nature. There is joy in the giving of ourselves for the needs of family and others, and there are many great rewards for working hard: respect, discipline, obedience, and love for my parents.
They don’t call it Discovery Bay for nothing!
In the June 2008 issue of the Field & Stream magazine, page 12, there are three photos of individuals holding their catches of large mouth bass. The first is a 13 1/2-pound bass caught in Lake Casitas in Southern California. The second is a 14-pound, 5-ounce bass, a record catch out of Tyler State Park in Northeast Texas. And the third is a 10 pounder caught in North Carolina. Here are some of my observations that I find interesting and entertaining:
The first two photos are both big, burly guys, most likely experienced fishermen, displaying their record catch. The third is a woman “fisherperson.” (It’s politically incorrect to call her a fisherman or a fisherwoman!) I find it interesting how the larger bass, caught by the bigger guys, appears small; and the smaller bass, held by the smaller woman, appears larger and longer then those caught by the BIG GUYS? And she is just a beginner!
To make it more convincing, the photo of the woman is also smaller than the pictures of the big catch. With this information, I conclude that to convince individuals observing a trophy catch of a large mouth bass, it is best to have the fish mounted or photographed in the proper environment that best produces the desired effects for displaying your wildlife wall art. Another special effect is to place the trophy catch on a small wall, and the effect will appear larger. Get it?
In an article of March 2008, Consumer Reports, there is topic of “Is Grass-fed Beef Better?”Being raised on a ranch where we had both grass-fed beef and grain-fed beef, it was a personal preference for flavor of the meat that we served at our meals. My preference was the corn-fed beef. It was delicious! However, in reference to this article, I do agree that grass-fed beef, over all, contains less fat and is healthier.
On the other hand, we no longer live on the ranch and farm. In memory of my childhood years, we enjoy a western decor theme in our home.