Larry A. Smail's Blog

    The litter of Springer Spaniels was born on February 6, 1998. March found two of these adorable puppies as permanent parts of the family. Bridget became the pet for my mother-in-law, Anne Craft and Suzie became part of the family of Laurie and myself.                                                                                                                                                                                         

We immediately bonded. She was an obedient dog always trying to be the best she could be. I had to discipline her rarely. My loud voice and my “look” was all that was needed in most instances.                      

Suzie loved outdoor adventures. Fields and forests were always a joy for her until the years caught up with blindness.

The years went so fast! Suddenly the puppy was eight years old. Ten years crept almost in a blink of the eye.

Suzie became very ill in February 2009. A visit to the vet confirmed diabetes. The outlook was bleak. the vet gave us six months to a year. A number of times illness came and I prepared for the worse.Suzie would come out of her condition and fair well again. Many a time she and I would walk around the yard and set. I prayed most sincere prayers. I truly believe her longevity was due to my prayers. She would improve and give us enjoyment again and again.                               

However, the years caught up with her.She almost reached her 15th birthday. The days prior to he passing were difficult for us all. She was becoming weaker and loosing control of her bladder. I kept my mother’s carpet scrubber handy using it to clean up the messes. Laurie and I began talks of what our options were. I tried to deny my feelings, but knowing we would soon need to make that dreaded decision so many pet owners need to make at times.

   Suzie, we love you!!!!  (February 6, 1998- January 4, 2013)

Suzie!

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The president has been elected. I have been trying to gather my thoughts and still be brief. This may be  difficult to do.

I went to bed shortly after ten o’clock the evening of the 2012 presidential election. I went to sleep with the assumption obama would, once again,  be elected as our nation’s president. The morning proved this assumption as accurate…….

Americans needs to congratulate themselves. The trend towards the “anything goes mentality” has firmly taken hold within our society. This is known as“moral relativism’. In short, the meaning equates to a society of people with no absolutes in their lives. We are there! The direction has been pointed out! There will, very unlikely, be any turning back to better values and ethical morals. Those days have been gone. Just watch any sitcoms on tonight’s television. At least half of the country tends to follow the rules of“political correctness” to the extremes……

We have found that, at least, half of the populace have no issue with the concept of our Constitutional principles of a limited government. We are, now, a take all society.  We have seen five trillion-dollar debt added in less than four years. We are currently over $16 trillion dollars and rapidly rising. Using this as a guide, we can only expect another 5 trillion over the next four years. Personally, I am sensing an even higher amount! We are Europe! Europe is in chaos with strikes and massive protests due to financial problems. It is broken! I find this difficult to believe that people seem to not care about such an alarming rate.  Apparently, half of the population have no problems with a government that works without a budget. I do!  There will be a time when these issues will come together for a major financial drop! Many seem to have no issue with these!…….

A bright “Green Light” has been given to this administration to continue with its policies and ideas. The Muslim Brotherhood has infiltrated this administration. The same group has declared many times that their goal is to eliminate the Jewish people and Israel. They have, also, made statements stating they will not stop until the flag  of Islam flies over Washington, D.C. Again, half of the population doesn’t care about such statements. This is a serious threat and America will need to deal with this sometime one way or the other. Christianity, in comparison, is being assaulted in many fronts. Talks of hate laws covering what a pastor says in the pulpit has been a subject of probability. This should alarm America. I sense this doesn’t matter in America anymore……

An economy hovering around 8% unemployment has been the norm for America for around 40 months. Does nobody care? This should be an alarmist’s red flag to the American people. It isn’t! Maybe this is being accepted as the new America and handouts are, indeed, the new norm forever.

I have witnessed the school system failings. Everything has been turned around over the years. These failings have been absorbed into the college system as well. Communist and socialistic ideals have been key to a generation of indoctrination on every subject imaginable. These goals are actually listed in the Communist Manifesto…….

The media is complacent to these ideals lost over the last generations. One can easily see this by watching the political ideologies and personal  and political agendas being propagated as gospel truth without even blinking an eye. Distortion and slanting in the media is the norm. Lying is commonplace as well. The president has lied numerously. Videos before his first election and videos after his election clearly show what this man is capable of…lies!  Nobody seems to care! In my opinion, not stating a truth because the truth doesn’t fit into one’s agenda is the same as lying! But, who am I? I am a simple,common country boy who loves his country and the original concept’s of the founding. People of America today do not have a thought as to what living in a government controlled tyranny is like. A tyranny-laden government is capable of dismantling our Freedoms. This administration has tried to curtail anyone speaking against them several times. This included the internet too. I suspect, this administration will now begin another earnest attack on these issues………..

We have a Fast and Furious scandal and another over the murdering of those in Libya. Documentation has been discovered proving this administration has lied! Nobody, or at least, half of America shrugs this off as a positive thing.  Americans died in both scandals! Why?……………..

The United Nations will begin its last absorption of the United States. The goals of gun control will happen at an escalated pace. A treaty will be signed soon, now that the election has occurred. America’s sovereignty will suffer and a gradual decline will be the normal way as we head towards the New World Order of globalization……………

America is the big loser at this point. The moral and ethical decline has already begun. Now we have with the green light to continue with policies that would have been unimaginable a generation ago……………………….

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  So many things to do! I gathered up all of the recyclable materials to remove to the local recycling center. In order to not waste a trip out, I elected to go north of the, no longer existing, village of Oscar. There are some nice rural roads to venture along with little traffic.                                                                                                                                                                        

The walk in total length would be, approximately, 6-7 miles. A stiff breeze was felt all morning. this would be the early signs of a cold front scheduled to move through over the weekend. I would stop and listen occasionally to hear the rustling of the leaves due to the breeze. What a relaxing sound!

Feeding Deer

While walking along a gas well road, I noticed several deer feeding on the road’s surface. They were eating beechnuts. I watched them for 10 minutes or so. the mother doe would chase the one young deer at times. eventually, the trio exited up an embankment. I would see them again, but not well enough for any photos. The leaves were much too heavy yet!

I saw a flock of this year’s turkeys. I was fortunate to get a few photos of them before their nerves became rattled. Later, while driving home a saw several gobblers. I stopped , but couldn’t get nothing but a blur in a photo. The gas well road is, almost entirely a gradual grade to the top of the hill. Towards the top I heard two gobbles. They sounded like a mature gobble with a deep full,resonating  sound.

TURKS!

Beechnuts!

Eventually, I reached the top only to turn around and head back. I would exit the road at times and walk the woods. (I killed two ticks only!) I would follow a small stream looking for exceptional photo-taking opportunities. I did, however, find a nice eight-point buck someone had lost.

A groundhog hit with a vehicle was finding out the food chain works in nature. A turkey vulture had found it too and was enjoying a feast. The “buzzards” will soon be drifting off until next March.

Fallen Leaves

Noon time was at hand as I entered the vehicle. I was now sweating from the exertion and rising temperatures. It had been a great morning!                                                                                                                                                    

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Cowanshannock Creek

The morning hours were involved with some art projects. Later on I “messed around”with some yard work when I felt the desire to go for a walk. the leaves are rapidly turning colors and a blink or two and they will be brown and covering the woodland’s floor. Yep, a walk was to be!

Buttermilk Falls

I called a friend, Larry Delaney to see if he would be interested in joining me on a hike along Cowanshannock Creek. We would be walking on a Rails to Trails project along the creek. Armed with cameras, we slowly walked the trail looking over the colors and talking Indians and wildlife. We, also, looked with disgust at the vandalizing and trash thrown about. A long section of “sheep fencing”was removed along one section of the trail. I will never understand people!

Using a rock as a tripod!

   Plenty of photos were taken, especially of the locally famous “Buttermilk Falls”. We continued past the end of the trail. I made notice as to how quickly the large stones disappear after we proceeded past the falls. The creek bottom goes abruptly from large, smooth boulders to a flat rock bottom. This stream is a most beautiful section of waters! Hemlocks and rhododenrens border the creek making for a nice contrast with the coloring leaves.

Staghorn Sumac in crimsom!

Along the trail, we noticed many acorns and beechnuts. The big trees were producing much this year. Deer and turkey activity was prevalent as the critters enjoyed easy pickin’s!                                    

The walk was, somewhere around 3 miles total. Some of the wildlife viewed were two wood ducks and kingfishers.

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Randy Tost and I have become friends. The issue that brought us together initially was my art. He really likes my art and I appreciate this very much. The “art thing” soon had us realizing we had much more in common. We enjoy anything concerning nature. We, both, enjoy hunting. Randy has invited  me to visit his home and property.  We have enjoyed some breakfasts together at local restaurants on a few occasions. I consider him a fine and genuine person.                                                                                                                                                                                                               

We walked across the hollow to view the famous deer stand where many hunts yielded success over the years. Randy was shocked to see some tree damage from recent storms. A large limb from the oak the tree stand was attached had broken off and missed the stand only to hit an ash tree next to the stand. The big ash had broken and two of the main trunks were now on the ground.The big oak limb had then fallen close enough to push on the ladder, but not do any damage. WOW! Talk about luck!                                                                                                                                                                                               

   This morning we, also, set out for some hiking, thoughts of future art projects, checking on wildflower growths, bird boxes… I had given Randy some wildflower startings from my “crop” and some bird boxes earlier this year. Surprisingly, the flowers faired rather well since this summer had  been very hot and dry.  The remaining of the morning we talked hunting; my frequent snake bites; Ned Smith art; (one of the greatest wildlife painters) health issues….Four hours just flew by!

We talked about the losses of our loved ones too. Randy had lost, both his wife, Susie and his mother-in-law in 2000. You can still see the sadness whenever he talks of these wonderful women. I do the same anytime I discuss my father for more than a minute. The emotions and love are still present. He passed away in 1999. This is another bond we share!

Time went very quickly  and the noon hour was minutes from being on us and I was on my way back home with promises of visiting again. I was happy to see my wife and pets too.

    I was blessed to see a couple of deer and 15 turkey vultures drying in the morning sun from an ancient and long-dead tree.

Turkey Vultures

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I have just updated some art onto the web site. The art may, also,  be found under the SERIES link on the right and under LATEST PAINTINGS; also, found on a right column link. I hope you enjoy the latest art.

ALL PAINTINGS ARE PROTECTED UNDER COPYRIGHT LAWS…………………………………………………

Filtered Light-Brook trout

Flying Low- Mallard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meadow’s Edge-Black Bear Family

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