When I was traveling around Texas in 2018, I stopped in Hereford, Texas which is the county seat of Deaf Smith County, which made me wonder who was Deaf Smith. Well, here's the answer.
Erastus “Deaf” Smith was a partially deaf scout who was at the Alamo and served as the courier for William Barrett Travis. In February 1836 he carried Travis’s famed letter of defiance from the Alamo. He later fought at the Battle of San Jacinto, which ended the Texas Revolution. After the War he led a company of 20 Texas Rangers, who fought the Mexican near present day Laredo. The Rangers killed 10 Mexicans during the battle which occurred almost a year after the surrender of San Jacinto.
After the battle, Smith returned to Richmond, Texas where he died a few months later. A marker stands in the Richmond Episcopal Church Cemetery, but the actual location of his grave is unknown. When Deaf Smith County was formed in 1890 it was named in his honor.
So as Paul Harvey would say, "Not you know the rest of the story.
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
THE NEW NORMAL
It's been over a month since I last posted and to be very honest, there really hasn't been much to post about other than the COVID19 virus. I have been reluctant to post about anything about the virus because it has been so politicized and I don't really do politics on this blog.
Since the Middle of March Virginia has been shut down. When the original stay at home order was announced by the governor, he like other politician stated that its purpose was to keep the hospitals from being overwhelmed. The order was for 14-days, which has been extended several time.
After the first couple of weeks, the COVID Numbers increased but the number of people hospitalized stayed pretty steady. The hospitals were not being over whelmed. I talked to a couple of hospital workers who live nearby who told me that many of their shifts were really quiet slow and the number of patient were quiet a bit less than normal. The hospital that they work at here in southwest Virginia had seen only two Covid19 patients and there were 4 hospitalized in isolation. None were on ventilators.
So in Mid-April why the continued lock down? Well the Governor changed his position and said the number of positive cased where continuing to increase by between 500-1000 a day. The reality of the situation was more people were being tested so you were getting more positive results. If you test less then the positive numbers will go down. The governor cites numbers from the Health Department, which is a state agency and is funded by the state. So there is a good chance that the health department numbers and position are going to be what ever the governor wants them to be. If they don't then there is a good chance that their future funding would be cut. So, the question has become, is the governor and the health department "cooking the books?"
When you look at the number from the Virginia Hospital Healthcare Association Website you get a more accurate picture of what is going one. It list the number of COVID19 Hospitalized, the number of those patients in ICU and the Number on ventilators. The site also list the number of available hospital bed and total number of those that are occupied on a daily basis. Those independent numbers show that the hospital are nowhere near being overwhelmed.
So why are we still on lock down here in Virginia. Well the entire state is once again being ruled by what's going on in Northern Virginia, Richmond and Tidewater. That is where the majority of the COVID19 Case are located. The rest of the state with the exception of the Harrisonburg/Staunton Area are seeing very few cases. As of this posting Montgomery County has 66 total cases with only two hospitalized. Those 66 cases reflect the total number of cases since the start of the outbreak. Those numbers do not reflect the number of people who have recovered from the virus. Neighboring Bland County Has zero total cases and Tazewell County has 6.
So why are businesses in these counties being forced to remain shut down, when the majority of the cases are isolated in Northern Virginia, Richmond and Tidewater. Well, maybe it is giving the governor and the members of the state government the opportunity to "cook the books" in an attempt to secure more federal funding. It's also a possibility to punish the parts of Virginia who didn't not support the governors agenda, namely every area of Virginia outside of Northern Virginia, Richmond and Tidewater.
So as of this post, the political working being used by the governor and the news media is changing slightly, from stay at home to safer at home we are still basically still locked down. Officially the political phrase Phase 1 re-opening has started on May 15, many businesses can not meet the requirements and remain closed.
So where does this leave us for the summer. Really Nothing has changed. I have cancelled everything that I had planed for 2020. I have no plans to travel outside of my little bubble here in Southwest Virginia. I have been out shooting video for my YouTube Channel so that I will have some new content in the weeks ahead.
I am looking at a few day trips around Southwest Virginia that will give me the opportunity to take new photos and shoot new content for YouTube.
The weather for the last couple of day has been absolutely fantastic, sunny and temps in the mid to upper 70's. But that is about to change as rain moves in on Monday, and the weatherman is calling for a possibility of flooding Monday Night and throughout the day Tuesday. When the heavy rain moves out sometime Wednesday, cloudy skies and intermittent rain will stay with us until Friday. So a week of Rain and gloomy weather will keep me in the house for the next week.
I do have a new Youtube video (click here) schedule to post later today so I my do a brief post later with the link to that. Until then - Stay Safe and Healty.
Since the Middle of March Virginia has been shut down. When the original stay at home order was announced by the governor, he like other politician stated that its purpose was to keep the hospitals from being overwhelmed. The order was for 14-days, which has been extended several time.
After the first couple of weeks, the COVID Numbers increased but the number of people hospitalized stayed pretty steady. The hospitals were not being over whelmed. I talked to a couple of hospital workers who live nearby who told me that many of their shifts were really quiet slow and the number of patient were quiet a bit less than normal. The hospital that they work at here in southwest Virginia had seen only two Covid19 patients and there were 4 hospitalized in isolation. None were on ventilators.
So in Mid-April why the continued lock down? Well the Governor changed his position and said the number of positive cased where continuing to increase by between 500-1000 a day. The reality of the situation was more people were being tested so you were getting more positive results. If you test less then the positive numbers will go down. The governor cites numbers from the Health Department, which is a state agency and is funded by the state. So there is a good chance that the health department numbers and position are going to be what ever the governor wants them to be. If they don't then there is a good chance that their future funding would be cut. So, the question has become, is the governor and the health department "cooking the books?"
When you look at the number from the Virginia Hospital Healthcare Association Website you get a more accurate picture of what is going one. It list the number of COVID19 Hospitalized, the number of those patients in ICU and the Number on ventilators. The site also list the number of available hospital bed and total number of those that are occupied on a daily basis. Those independent numbers show that the hospital are nowhere near being overwhelmed.
So why are we still on lock down here in Virginia. Well the entire state is once again being ruled by what's going on in Northern Virginia, Richmond and Tidewater. That is where the majority of the COVID19 Case are located. The rest of the state with the exception of the Harrisonburg/Staunton Area are seeing very few cases. As of this posting Montgomery County has 66 total cases with only two hospitalized. Those 66 cases reflect the total number of cases since the start of the outbreak. Those numbers do not reflect the number of people who have recovered from the virus. Neighboring Bland County Has zero total cases and Tazewell County has 6.
So why are businesses in these counties being forced to remain shut down, when the majority of the cases are isolated in Northern Virginia, Richmond and Tidewater. Well, maybe it is giving the governor and the members of the state government the opportunity to "cook the books" in an attempt to secure more federal funding. It's also a possibility to punish the parts of Virginia who didn't not support the governors agenda, namely every area of Virginia outside of Northern Virginia, Richmond and Tidewater.
So as of this post, the political working being used by the governor and the news media is changing slightly, from stay at home to safer at home we are still basically still locked down. Officially the political phrase Phase 1 re-opening has started on May 15, many businesses can not meet the requirements and remain closed.
So where does this leave us for the summer. Really Nothing has changed. I have cancelled everything that I had planed for 2020. I have no plans to travel outside of my little bubble here in Southwest Virginia. I have been out shooting video for my YouTube Channel so that I will have some new content in the weeks ahead.
I am looking at a few day trips around Southwest Virginia that will give me the opportunity to take new photos and shoot new content for YouTube.
The weather for the last couple of day has been absolutely fantastic, sunny and temps in the mid to upper 70's. But that is about to change as rain moves in on Monday, and the weatherman is calling for a possibility of flooding Monday Night and throughout the day Tuesday. When the heavy rain moves out sometime Wednesday, cloudy skies and intermittent rain will stay with us until Friday. So a week of Rain and gloomy weather will keep me in the house for the next week.
I do have a new Youtube video (click here) schedule to post later today so I my do a brief post later with the link to that. Until then - Stay Safe and Healty.
Thursday, April 9, 2020
COPING IN CHANGING TIMES!
Just wanted to post a quick update on what things are like in these changing times and how I am coping with social isolation.
First let me say that I do take the current situation serious and I AM PRACTICING social isolation. My car hasn't been out of my garage since March 27, when I ventured out to the Glen Alton Day Use Area in the Jefferson National Forest. It is a remote and beautiful place and is perfect for hiking and walking. But I understand that it has since closed.
Prior to that the last time I was out in public was on March 19, when I made a grocery run to Kroger's. That will probably be my last run to Kroger's as I plan on shopping on line and scheduling either a pickup or delivery. It is really a new way of doing things.
While I am practicing Social Isolation it doesn't mean that I am staying inside all the time. I have found that my daily walks have taken on a new meaning. I really look forward to them and have expanded from a little over 3 miles a day to a little over 5-miles a day. Walking around the neighborhood is usually a good option for me as I very rarely see other people except for a few that are walking their pet and they usually stay in or close to their yard.
Some times when I walk during the early afternoon, I hit the Huckleberry. That a paved walking trail that runs very close to my home. In the early to mid afternoon I have the trail to myself. It is a little more crowded in the mornings, late afternoon and early evenings. So I am staying active.
What's it like here in the New River Valley of Virginia. It very little different than anywhere else in Southwest Virginia. People are still hording and large areas of the grocery store shelves are bare. I have talked with a couple of grocery store managers and they have all advised me that the supply line is up and operating normally. If people would just take a step back and take a deep breath the stores could catch up and supplies would quickly return to normal. But people are still in a tizzy.
I am online ordering from Kroger's and it will be interesting to see just how much of my order that they are able to fill. I am ordering only what I usually get when I go to the store in person. I am not ordering large amounts of anything. We will see what happens.
One thing that I am not doing is watching the News. I look at the Virginia Department of Health Website every day of two, but I do NOT watch the main stream media. The media in this day and time is not a reliable source of information. They are more interested in advancing a political agenda and sensationalizing events than reporting the News.
I came to the conclusion long before this age of social isolation that the days of simple reporting the news like Walter Cronkite and Huntley-Brinkley did are long gone. I do watch some of the so called experts and listen to what they say because they do provide some good information. But when they open the conference for questions from the Media I turn it off because once again the media is only interested in advancing their political agenda. So TURN OFF THE NEWS and go about your life the best you can.
One thing that I do encourage you to do is take advantage of online ordering from your local restaurants. They are depending on online and takeout order to survive. So support them and PLEASE TIP a little extra.
Some one sent me an e-mail a couple of weeks ago asking me about my plans for the rest of the year. Quiet frankly I have none. Everything that I had planned for 2020 has been cancelled. If things clear up in the weeks ahead then I will take some day trips but over night are not on the agenda for the rest of the year. I really don't look for the much of the travel industry to be back up an running until sometime in 2021. But again we will see.
Finally, and this is just my opinion, I think the government is going to have to figure out a way to gradually open up the economy and start getting people back to work. I am not smart enough to know how but I am smart enough to know that the economy can NOT survive months upon months of idle lock down. I am not say we are going to wake up one day an poof everybody is back to work. But the economy is going to have to start functioning slowly at first especially manufacturing. Maybe gradually getting back to work in shifts and gradually expanding the hours as the difficult times subsides. But we will see.
That's it for this entry, until next time please stay home and stay healthy.
First let me say that I do take the current situation serious and I AM PRACTICING social isolation. My car hasn't been out of my garage since March 27, when I ventured out to the Glen Alton Day Use Area in the Jefferson National Forest. It is a remote and beautiful place and is perfect for hiking and walking. But I understand that it has since closed.
Prior to that the last time I was out in public was on March 19, when I made a grocery run to Kroger's. That will probably be my last run to Kroger's as I plan on shopping on line and scheduling either a pickup or delivery. It is really a new way of doing things.
 |
| NEIGHBORHOOD WALK |
 |
| NEIGHBORHOOD WALK |
Some times when I walk during the early afternoon, I hit the Huckleberry. That a paved walking trail that runs very close to my home. In the early to mid afternoon I have the trail to myself. It is a little more crowded in the mornings, late afternoon and early evenings. So I am staying active.
What's it like here in the New River Valley of Virginia. It very little different than anywhere else in Southwest Virginia. People are still hording and large areas of the grocery store shelves are bare. I have talked with a couple of grocery store managers and they have all advised me that the supply line is up and operating normally. If people would just take a step back and take a deep breath the stores could catch up and supplies would quickly return to normal. But people are still in a tizzy.
 |
| GLEN ALTON |
One thing that I am not doing is watching the News. I look at the Virginia Department of Health Website every day of two, but I do NOT watch the main stream media. The media in this day and time is not a reliable source of information. They are more interested in advancing a political agenda and sensationalizing events than reporting the News.
 |
| GLEN ALTON |
One thing that I do encourage you to do is take advantage of online ordering from your local restaurants. They are depending on online and takeout order to survive. So support them and PLEASE TIP a little extra.
 |
| NEIGHBORHOOD WALK |
Finally, and this is just my opinion, I think the government is going to have to figure out a way to gradually open up the economy and start getting people back to work. I am not smart enough to know how but I am smart enough to know that the economy can NOT survive months upon months of idle lock down. I am not say we are going to wake up one day an poof everybody is back to work. But the economy is going to have to start functioning slowly at first especially manufacturing. Maybe gradually getting back to work in shifts and gradually expanding the hours as the difficult times subsides. But we will see.
That's it for this entry, until next time please stay home and stay healthy.
Sunday, April 5, 2020
THE LEGEND OF CHARLEY PARKHURST
When I travel I keep a Trip Journal. It's nothing fancy just a few notes to myself about the days adventure and some interesting notes about thing that I saw or learned during the day. Some entries are just a few lines while other are a page or two. Since most of us are social isolating and can't really travel I have been looking back on some of these trip journals. As a result I have been posting on another site little tid-bits of information that I found interesting. And from time to time I am going to Post them here just to keep this blog somewhat active. So here is the first little entry.
WHO WAS CHARLEY PARKHURST?
Last year when I visited the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City there was a temporary exhibit on old west transportation. One part of the exhibit was dedicated to the stagecoach. One of the people they mentioned was a stagecoach driver named Charley Parkhurst. Seems ole Charley was quite the character, hard drinking and driving his coach for days at a time while battling bandits in all types of weather. Charley once safely crossed a raging river during a storm that had washed out the bridge. Charley was a true shot with a rifle and pistol and shot at least two outlaws who attempted to rob the Stage. In Charley’s later years the time was spent mostly alone in a cabin on a small ranch near Watsonville, California. Noted stage Driver Charley Parkhurst died of Cancer in 1879 but when Charley’s friends and the undertaker came to prepare for the funeral, they discovered that Ole Charley was actually a woman whose real name was Charlotte Darkey Parkhurst
WHO WAS CHARLEY PARKHURST?
Last year when I visited the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City there was a temporary exhibit on old west transportation. One part of the exhibit was dedicated to the stagecoach. One of the people they mentioned was a stagecoach driver named Charley Parkhurst. Seems ole Charley was quite the character, hard drinking and driving his coach for days at a time while battling bandits in all types of weather. Charley once safely crossed a raging river during a storm that had washed out the bridge. Charley was a true shot with a rifle and pistol and shot at least two outlaws who attempted to rob the Stage. In Charley’s later years the time was spent mostly alone in a cabin on a small ranch near Watsonville, California. Noted stage Driver Charley Parkhurst died of Cancer in 1879 but when Charley’s friends and the undertaker came to prepare for the funeral, they discovered that Ole Charley was actually a woman whose real name was Charlotte Darkey Parkhurst
Saturday, March 21, 2020
HUNKERED DOWN
Just wanted to do a quick post and let everyone know whats going on. For the last several days I have been hunkered down at home and practicing social distancing.The weather here has been pretty nice so I have been able to get out an walk the trails and take a few hikes. And I have even ventured out to some local cemeteries to shoot some footage for my Tombstone Tourist YouTube Channel.
All of the restaurants in the area have closed their dining rooms but many are offering carry out and delivery so in an effort to support them, especially the smaller locally owned businesses I have tried to get to go orders from those that offer them a few times a week. If you are in the same situation, please consider tipping a little extra if you can afford it. I know these are uncertain times but the fact is there are a lot of food service workers and small businesses that are really facing a very, very trying time.
As I said earlier I have continued with my daily walks around the neighborhood and along the Huckleberry Trail. The Huckleberry runs by the New River Valley Mall and several of the restaurants there are offering take out so I have made it a point to time my daily walk for around lunch time. I have really enjoyed purchasing a to go lunch at some of the restaurants and carrying it back to one of the benches along the Huckleberry and enjoy having a very nice picnic lunch. Yesterday, my lunch from one of the local small businesses cost me $10.81. I managed to tip an additional $10.00, just because I could afford it. The young lady who delivered my food really made a point of thanking me and telling me how much they all appreciated it. Having lunch outside on a nice day has been a nice distraction from all of the doom and gloom that is dominating the news media.
Like most places schools are closed and kids are staying home. A number of the children here in the community that I live in have been taking an hour or so each day and drawing pictures and writing notes that a lady here has delivered to a couple of local nursing homes. These simple pictures and notes brighten the day of the nursing home residents who no longer can visit with each other or received visits from their family.
Several of us adults have also joined in by writing brief notes and inserting a favorite bible verse. Our latest effort included over 120 notes and pictures that were taken to two different nursing homes in the area. They were dropped off in a drop box in front of the buildings and the staff sorted and delivered them to the residents. My neighbor who delivered them told me this morning when I was out for my daily walk that she go a call last night from one of the nurses telling her just how much this small gesture meant. She said every room she entered the first thing out of the residents mouth was "look what I got today." The smiles and tear of happiness meant so much.
Right now I have absolutely no travel plans, everything that I have had in the works has been cancelled or at best delayed. With that being said, I still want to take a few little day trips as the situation will allow. With spring fast approaching, a nice drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway may be something to consider in the days ahead. The parkway also has a number of really nice hiking trails that will allow me the opportunity to shoot some new video footage and some spring photos.
Also I am very close to the Appalachian Trail and several other hiking trails so the opportunity to get out while still practicing "social distancing" is still available. But for the most part I am hunkered down and staying close to home.
On March 10, I traveled to Roanoke to pick up my sister at he the Roanoke Airport. She flew out a week earlier to Dallas for a visit with my niece who lives in the Garland area. Since then I have only been out and around other people a couple of times. Once to Kroger's and once to Food Lion.
Yes, people here in the NRV were panic buying and hoarding supplies. The shelves at Kroger's were mostly cleared of meat, bread, milk, pasta, and soup just about as fast as the employees could put out the stock. I may be wrong but people are loosing their ever loving mind. Yes I wiped down my shopping cart with the disinfectant wipe that I round at the entrance and I washed my hands when I got home.
One thing that I have found is that the Food Lion that I can walk to, is most of the time better stocked than Kroger. Both times that I have been to Food Lion, they had a better selections of the basics like meat, bread and milk. With that being said, I didn't buy more than I normally would. I didn't go overboard and over buy like so many other folks area doing. I talked to one of the managers at Food Lion who side that their supply truck are continuing to run and if people would take a step back and return to buying in normal amounts and stop panic buying then they could catch up most of their stock would return to normal.
As for the China Virus here. There still has not been a confirmed case here in the NRV. Yesterday the first case was confirmed in Roanoke but so far nothing west of Roanoke. So for now we are good. I am more concerned about the economy than I am about the actual virus. But time will tell, and we will see where all this goes.
For now I am Hunkered down, editing videos and Photos while taking my daily walks. Just like traveling, we will see what's around the bend.
All of the restaurants in the area have closed their dining rooms but many are offering carry out and delivery so in an effort to support them, especially the smaller locally owned businesses I have tried to get to go orders from those that offer them a few times a week. If you are in the same situation, please consider tipping a little extra if you can afford it. I know these are uncertain times but the fact is there are a lot of food service workers and small businesses that are really facing a very, very trying time.
As I said earlier I have continued with my daily walks around the neighborhood and along the Huckleberry Trail. The Huckleberry runs by the New River Valley Mall and several of the restaurants there are offering take out so I have made it a point to time my daily walk for around lunch time. I have really enjoyed purchasing a to go lunch at some of the restaurants and carrying it back to one of the benches along the Huckleberry and enjoy having a very nice picnic lunch. Yesterday, my lunch from one of the local small businesses cost me $10.81. I managed to tip an additional $10.00, just because I could afford it. The young lady who delivered my food really made a point of thanking me and telling me how much they all appreciated it. Having lunch outside on a nice day has been a nice distraction from all of the doom and gloom that is dominating the news media.
Like most places schools are closed and kids are staying home. A number of the children here in the community that I live in have been taking an hour or so each day and drawing pictures and writing notes that a lady here has delivered to a couple of local nursing homes. These simple pictures and notes brighten the day of the nursing home residents who no longer can visit with each other or received visits from their family.
Several of us adults have also joined in by writing brief notes and inserting a favorite bible verse. Our latest effort included over 120 notes and pictures that were taken to two different nursing homes in the area. They were dropped off in a drop box in front of the buildings and the staff sorted and delivered them to the residents. My neighbor who delivered them told me this morning when I was out for my daily walk that she go a call last night from one of the nurses telling her just how much this small gesture meant. She said every room she entered the first thing out of the residents mouth was "look what I got today." The smiles and tear of happiness meant so much.
Right now I have absolutely no travel plans, everything that I have had in the works has been cancelled or at best delayed. With that being said, I still want to take a few little day trips as the situation will allow. With spring fast approaching, a nice drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway may be something to consider in the days ahead. The parkway also has a number of really nice hiking trails that will allow me the opportunity to shoot some new video footage and some spring photos.
Also I am very close to the Appalachian Trail and several other hiking trails so the opportunity to get out while still practicing "social distancing" is still available. But for the most part I am hunkered down and staying close to home.
On March 10, I traveled to Roanoke to pick up my sister at he the Roanoke Airport. She flew out a week earlier to Dallas for a visit with my niece who lives in the Garland area. Since then I have only been out and around other people a couple of times. Once to Kroger's and once to Food Lion.
Yes, people here in the NRV were panic buying and hoarding supplies. The shelves at Kroger's were mostly cleared of meat, bread, milk, pasta, and soup just about as fast as the employees could put out the stock. I may be wrong but people are loosing their ever loving mind. Yes I wiped down my shopping cart with the disinfectant wipe that I round at the entrance and I washed my hands when I got home.
One thing that I have found is that the Food Lion that I can walk to, is most of the time better stocked than Kroger. Both times that I have been to Food Lion, they had a better selections of the basics like meat, bread and milk. With that being said, I didn't buy more than I normally would. I didn't go overboard and over buy like so many other folks area doing. I talked to one of the managers at Food Lion who side that their supply truck are continuing to run and if people would take a step back and return to buying in normal amounts and stop panic buying then they could catch up most of their stock would return to normal.
As for the China Virus here. There still has not been a confirmed case here in the NRV. Yesterday the first case was confirmed in Roanoke but so far nothing west of Roanoke. So for now we are good. I am more concerned about the economy than I am about the actual virus. But time will tell, and we will see where all this goes.
For now I am Hunkered down, editing videos and Photos while taking my daily walks. Just like traveling, we will see what's around the bend.
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