Thought I heard something behind me

Are you scared of the dark?

Do you like to watch scary movies? Does your imagination play tricks on you when you are alone? Have you ever heard noises that defy common sense?

Are you alone right now reading this...? Are you sure you're alone....? Is the door locked?

Was that a strange car sitting in front of the neighbors a couple of doors down...?

There was a time when my imagination would run rampant and bring the eerie sounds to my ear. Like the time I was preparing for a hunting trip. It was opening weekend of deer season here in East Texas and I had my checklist of items that would be necessary to make it as comfortable as possible for the next couple of nights.

As those nights would be spent in a tent there in the piney woods of East Texas. Not minding having to rough it, I welcomed the challenge...how bad could it be.

The night before I left for the weekend, I was talked into watching the movie, and some of you will remember this one...

The Blair Witch Project.

Talk about a really bad idea. Talk about a wild freaking imagination. I heard voices all night long. Even having my loaded shotgun laying next to me wasn't enough to allow sleep to come. I am sure I heard the scratching on the nylon walls several times during the night.

Thought I heard something behind me....

Then there was the time I borrowed my brother in law's pop up camper. Finally off the ground....and safe from the boogie man.

Yeah right. Those style campers have slide out beds that are covered by mere canvas. The boogie man can slice right thru that stuff and get you quick. That night I dreamed the canvas had collapsed on top of me and I couldn't even scream for help.

Fine shape I would of been in if the boogie man and his buddies had shown up. Seems like I was packing my shotgun and my grandpa's old pistol he bought way back when he was running for constable, but that didn't help much against the imagination that was having its way with my mind.

Walking to the deer stand one morning, I thought I heard something behind me... oh crap.

Did I load my rifle? Did I put a round in the chamber? What the hell was that noise..?

Sounded like footsteps behind me...as I spin around, the noise comes from the direction I was just heading....double crap...there's more than one.

I just freeze and hold my breath, figuring dawn is about an hour away and I won't be missed until at least 10 A.M. My entire body would be ... could be ... that noise again is at my feet.

Then I realize that the noise is the small leafless twigs of an indigenous plant that was rubbing against my insulated overalls.

I knew it all along. Yeah right, imagine that.

Then on the walk back to the camp after not seeing anything pass by your stand, you notice just off the path your taking, a rather large collection of animal droppings....and some really big paw prints...as in a big cat with big paws that leave big droppings ... and your mind tells you that all cats cover their stuff with dirt so it won't be seen....OR do they?

I thought I heard something behind me the other day, as I was coming in thru the garage... but I realized it was only my rear end that was dragging behind me. These extended hours I am working are taking a toll on me. A two day weekend is just enough to make me want to sleep with a loaded weapon, but the voices keep telling me differently. Hit the snooze button, it's gonna be okay.

Did you hear something just now...? Is the patio door locked? Was that something outside your window?

Must of been the wind.

....or was it?

Amazed...simply amazed

This afternoon finds me chilling under a ceiling fan, watching Wheel of Fortune game show, checking my Facebook page, reading emails, and looking to see how many if any new visitors there have been to this old blog.

Again, I stand...make that... sit before you amazed. Simply amazed. Either you folks have an amazingly docile life like mine, have minimum outside interests, OR just love reading about someone who has it worse off than yourself.

Now hang on a second...don't go and click out of here... that right there was a touch of humor. I really do appreciate your taking the time to come in and check in. My little visitor meter keeps a tally on where you folks are from and that really amazes me. I go on about this fact simply because of the ease that our world comes together.

Really a small world we live in, unless of course you walk everywhere you have to go. I was cleaning out stuff in my office the other day...stuff that my former boss left behind. What a treat I found. Try and follow me with this.

It was a framed collection of post cards, photos, and a program from a museum in Poland. All of these items were pasted on top of a map of Poland and set under glass suitable for hanging.

Curiosity got the best of me with the one envelope facing backwards. There had to be an address on the other side, so I went to work at opening the framed work of Polish heritage.

Amazing enough, the name and address was in English and was actually a local person that lived in my home town of Beaumont, Texas.

Turns out the online service of Google helped with a few of the Polish words and told me the arrangement was about beekeeping. That's right beekeeping and their beehives.

Seems the lady's name was listed in our phone book and from a quick conversation with her husband, she was a certified beekeeper and had traveled all over the world working with bees.

At the plant site where I work, this lady had kept several beehives and had maintained access to the bees for several years with the chemical units springing up around the compound.

Just a heads up, I understand that I will be getting a digital recorder for Father's Day this weekend....you know one of those things that help with taking notes without having to write it down, so I plan on contacting the woman next week, and see about getting a story from her about the bees and the collection of Polish beehives and the style of hives common to Poland.

You can bet that I will putting this story together for you kind folks that keep coming back for more. You know who you are, all of you...or as we say here in Texas.... all y'all. Which is in the plural tense. Singular tense would just be..... y'all.

So you peeps from Mississippi, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Arizona, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Texas, New York, Delaware, California, Louisiana take a listen right here....we got real life foreigners making their presence known.

There's been a couple of folks from the Ukraine and Leeds, U.K. How sweet is that?

Take care girls and boys, come on back and I promise to have a decent beekeeping story up and running soon.

What a ride this has been...

Hey Gang...bet you're wondering where the heck has ol Jake been huh?

To still a line from an old Mel Brooks film, it's simply been busy...

"Work work work work work.....work work work work.......work work.."

Current status has me working 7 days a week and putting in 10 hour days. By the time I get up and get to work, take care of business which now includes the duties of a detail foreman, since my boss has taken an 'early' retirement, I moved up a notch...do a little bit of paperwork, smooth all the wrinkles out for one work group, hold the hand and tell my electrical engineer that all will be OK, leave for home and maybe even get something to eat, I pretty much don't care to sit in front of a computer like I am doing right now.

But I stumbled back to this here ol blog after paying a few bills that were screaming at me for attention and thought I might give you an update.

Not sure how much longer these crazy hours will continue, but as one friend refers to the overtime....keep making the long green for as long as you can, then worry about getting some rest.

Just in case you missed the big announcement on Facebook, I now...make that WE now have a brand new 'lake-house' on wheels a-sitting in the driveway. Yep, we went and bought us a brand new travel trailer for those close encounters with them slimy green fish up at the lake. It's always fun to get plum bone tired from a day of chasing them critters around Big Sam, my favorite Texas impoundment...and then retiring to a shower and a bed only a couple of blocks from the boat ramp so we can do it again the next day.

But for now, the camper just sits and waits for the maiden voyage to the north country. It sits and waits just across the driveway from the boat that will float me and my stress related woes...the woes from working so dang many hours....float them woes right down to the level of those bottom dwelling, mud and sand creeping, itty-bitty thangs that we don't hardly got names for...that survive without sunshine and fresh air.

Glad you stopped by, I've been checking in on you regular visitors that keep a-coming back for whatever it is you get by reading my writing. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy kind of...almost like Charlie Brown once said about peeing yourself in your dark pants.

" It gives you a warm feeling but nobody notices you...what you did."

Later Tater... see ya in the funny papers.