Rural Life and the Old Codger - Part 2

The story was began in a post a couple of days ago as Rural Life and the Old Codger.

The great day with Mr. M. was an opportunity to view some Arkansas back country that is on the real estate market. Since my job is to finance this sort of property, I find opportunities such as this one to "inspect" the real estate for future prospects.

The drive to the property is about 45 minutes of small Arkansas rural highways with lots of twists and turns. As it would be, this took us right through the rural area where Mr. M was born and raised. This prompted several boyhood stories to be related including things like,

"Over there in that Little Schoolhouse is where I got introduced to the "board of education". "Mind you, I didn't do anything wrong, but some of those guys that I hung around with were might ornery."

Well, on to the property. As we arrived, Mr. M wanted to know if I wanted to ride the 4 wheelers in or take the truck since the property boundary was about a half mile off the highway. Makes no difference to me so he decides we will take the truck. Glad it was four wheel drive. If this had been in my little two wheel drive truck, we wouldn't have made the first 100 yards, especially pulling a trailer with two 4 wheelers.

Arrived at the property line in just a few minutes and out of the woods pop this quaint cabin built only a few years ago. Cabin would be a great weekend hideway. But I digress.

Well, I made sure and told Mr. M that I had not had opportunity to ride 4 wheeler in a while and I might be a little rusty. Not a problem. He pulled it off the trailer and we commenced to ride a trail around what I would think would be a hunters paradise.

We rode the perimeter of the property with a brief jog toward the center. Wow - 5 deer stands already up and in place. Look over there - a food plot area in front of each of the deer stands.

Man somone took a lot of pains to clear out that shooting lane. Several hundred yards of cleared area both directions from that deer stand. Look at all of that hardwood timber sprinkled with pines in several areas. Got to be lots of wild game in here!

"Hold on a minute Mr. M waives me down" You know how to put that thing down in crawl gear. Here, let me fix it for you."

My mind was racing. We had been moving fairly slowly anyway. Why does he want to know if I can put it in "crawl gear".

Well we took off again and as we moved across a ridge the bottom dropped out of the world. In front of us loomed a steep slope going down to a beautiful, trickling creek and a great slope to ascend on the other side. Ok now slow down. Can't this thing go any slower. Man this slope is steep. If I had stayed in the gear range I was in earlier, I would have been in the ravine going down or flipped over backwards coming out the other side.

On the other side we stopped and Mr. M. just laughed. "That was kind of like looking at the corners of the property that first time we met." Just needed to see if you would do it"

He grinned as he pointed at another trail behind us that was much smoother and would have taken most of the challenge out of that last stretch.

Well we finished the ride - loaded back up and back to town with no real incidents, lots of good stories and as stated - a great day.

Man - Mr. M. sure reminds me of my dad! - That makes a great day!

Health Insurance - Willy Needs It!

Boy, trying to figure out health care issues today is a tough thing. With the exorbitant costs of health and medical care today Health Insurance is an absolute necessity for all individuals. However, it does help with this in the fact that there is great websites to help sort out the costs and needs of the Health Insurance delimma.

In this same thought, as I enter the realms of the Baby Boomers who are now retiring or considering retirement, Health Insurance costs are a major factor. Again, I go to the resources on the internet and check out great sites for Health Insurance information and quotes.

With this information available. Good decisions and good, affordable coverage can be obtained.

As usually stated, compensation is sometimes rendered for these postings. However, if I didn't think the products were acceptable I would't be posting about it.


The exorbitant costs of health and medical care cause health insurance to be necessary for all individuals. Share your thoughts on health insurance, why it is necessary and average health insurance rates. Explain where one can go to find health insurance quotes, focusing specifically on Colorado and California health insurance markets.

Rural Life and the Old Codger!

Great day yesterday! Had the opportunity to work with a “gentleman” Realtor (about 70 years old) and ride 4 wheelers across some property. I will call him Mr. M. The ride to and from the property was about an hour each way and gave me the opportunity to get to know the real person.

Oddly enough, it was a couple of years ago that Mr. M and I first met in a rural wooded area where he had some property for sale and I was looking at it for the possibility of financing a home on some of the property. The land in question was a 10 acre wooded tract out of an 80 acre area. My biggest fear and concern was that the house to be built was marked off properly and did not encroach on the boundaries lines.

Well, I had told Mr. M somewhat indignantly on the phone that I had to see each corner of the property to make my own determination. We agreed to meet and take a look.

At the agreed upon time, I drove up to the property. Mr. M was standing about 75 yards away in the “deep woods and brier”. As I exited my vehicle he stated in a booming voice “Come on over here – let me show you this first corner.” “You said you’ve got to absolutely see the markers yourself.”

Well, I stood there somewhat amused, somewhat intrigued, and somewhat ticked off. The 75 yards of real estate between me and Mr. M was solid under brush and briers. I stood there in my khakis and polo shirt thinking that and “old codger” was standing out here trying to show me up. I tried to be cool in my loud conversation across the expansive briers, but no intelligent solution came to me as to how to come out of this with any dignity. However, I was not going to the brier patch!

I promptly looked at myself from Mr. M’s perspective and realized that it was not he that had the “old codger” attitude but rather me that had caused the “old codger” attitude. I began to laugh at the situation and immediately voiced a make-shift apology for my earlier indignant demands. “Well, now I think we can work together he stated.” He came out of the brush and began to point out the corners at a distance. Everything was fine.

It was a year later and a presentation at a realtors meeting that gave me my next encounter with Mr. M. I walked into the meeting to begin my presentation. Mr. M recognized me – stood up immediately and related this story in such a manner that had the entire meeting in stitches.

He and I have been friends ever since!

More later about the great day with Mr. M.

Rural Life and the Old Codger - Part 2

Who I am?

Every so often I will probably repost my "Who I Am" Thoughts. It keeps me on my toes!

As a Master Degreed individual from Texas A&M University and being displaced in the hills of Arkansas, I write under the pen name of Hillbilly-Willy. I was born and raised in the flat land in the Panhandle of Texas but I have learned to relate to the folks in th Ozark Hills.

They take life a little differently from some of the rest of the World.

In my real day job, I work with Ranchers, farmers and those who desire the rural life. Many of these however, work hard, but play hard also.

I like to reflect on that Rural Life style and believe that as I grow older, I become more appreciative of the Rural Life.

Along the way, I may pass on real knowledge, mindless trivia, a few funnies, a few mentions of products (pays for the internet access), and stuff that no one cares about or reads. -

There you go!

Mortgage Refinancing - You Need to Know!

Lending is my expertise in life - OK - its how I earn my living. But Blogging about things such as refinancing your Mortgage or consolidating other debts into a Mortgage are important.

For you see many people have debts that could be managed better if they were financed into a Mortgage over a longer period of time.

Also, a big item today, especially in California and Connecticut mortgage markets is the Adjustable rate that many people have. While rates are still low a person should do everything they can to work with a good Mortgage lender to lock in some longer term rates.

This will save an individual a great deal of money over the life of a mortgage loan. You will save on interest while possibly making lower monthly payments.

Rates are still low on Mortgage loans. A person should take advantage now!




It might be noted that sometimes I take the opportunity to mention a product or an idea and may be compensated for it. However, note I would not take the opportunity if I did not think the idea was good.

Slow Down Just a Little!

Slow Down! Think about it!

Do you watch kids playing on a merry go round.
Do you listen to the rain lapping on the ground.
Every watch a butterfly's erratic flight.
Ever gaze at the sun into the fading night?

Do you run through each day on the fly?
When you ask "How are you?"
Do you really hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed
with the next hundred chores running through your head?

Did you tell your child, "We'll do it tomorrow."
And in your haste, not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die?
Do you ever call just to say "Hi"?

When you worry and hurry through your day,
it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away....

Life is not a race. Take it a little slower .
Listen -hear the music before the song is over.

Disclosure Policy

This policy is valid from 26 March 2007

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me.

The compensation received will never influence the content, topics or posts made in this blog. All advertising is in the form of advertisements generated by a third party ad network. Those advertisements will be identified as paid advertisements.

The owner(s) of this blog is not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owners. If we claim or appear to be experts on a certain topic or product or service area, we will only endorse products or services that we believe, based on our expertise, are worthy of such endorsement. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.

This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.

Ground Beef - Nutrient Calculator

Found this article and a Ground Beef Nutrient Calculator - Thought it was interesting

Ground Beef Calculator

The USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory has launched a new nutrient search program, the Ground Beef Calculator, which provides the user with nutrient information for retail ground beef products containing any level of fat between 5% and 30%. The Ground Beef Calculator generates a nutrient profile based on the fat (or lean) content of retail ground beef and the preparation method specified (cooked patties, loaves, or crumbles). This program complements the ground beef data currently available in the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.

Click here to start the ground beef calculator and then follow the instructions for entering the percentage fat or lean, and cooking method.

Country Life - Rural America

The country life is a great life. There are many of us that long for that great life. It sometimes takes us back to the nostalgia of childhood or the thoughts of how it might have been. Wandering the countryside, watching the clouds on a clear day, working outdoors and enjoying it!

Yes, the country life is a great life. Would'nt it be great if we were back to where we might have been 50 years ago. Oh! I don't want to be to rustic - need some of the frills of the "now life", but a greater simplicity where it seemed we had more neighbors, more friends and more time is to be longed for.

Just some small thoughts in passing.

Get Away With Great Hotel Rates!

John Denver sang that "Life on the Farm is kind of layed back" -Well that can be true, but sometimes it can get hectic and a person just has to get away. Thats when I find that I can go to HotelReservations.com to obtain the best Hotel Reservations around. I have found on this site that Hotel Reservations can help you find great destinations and fantastic deals just a short drive from wherever you are.

But if your looking for that extended stay you can get hotels, motels, resorts, vacations rentals etc. from HotelReservations.com. You will find that they have great pricing that you will find very low and very competitive. With these Hotel Reservations you will find that you will get great discounts offered on world wide destinations.

You can book a great cruise at Hotel Reservations web site or you can find something close to home to just go and relax for a few days. This is what I really want to do. About three years ago I took the wife on a big old cruise. I wishes he had known about Hotel Reservations back then. But heck - I didn't hardly even know what the Internet was back then. How times have changed. To now have the world of knowledge at your fingertips and get the best knowledge about where to stay and when to use Hotel Reservations such as those provided by this site.

Well, I digress. I have booked a couple of Hotel stays over im Memphis with an online Hotel Reservations site. That stay worked out very well. The Hotel Reservations were wonderful and everything worked very smooth as I know it will with this site.

If you work very hard to enjoy the farm life like I know most of the readers of this blog do. Then it is obvious that many of you just need to get away.

To do that you need to go online and find your next Hotel Reservations to be the best deal you have had in a long time.

I know you are going to like it.

gay cows -check the horns - This is what happens when you bring Texas longhorns to Arkansas

These cows with colored easter egg horns were seen on a farm in the hills of Arkansas today!

Illegal Aliens, The American Dream, and Lazy Kids

As a child I could not get over how the mothers and fathers of other kids gave such good allowances for nothing.  My parents never gave me an allowance that I can remember.  To be frank, we never went anywhere that I could spend the allowance if I had it.  My parents didn't buy me whatever I asked for, either. Even the generosity of the tooth fairy was at most 25 cents, but most of the time only a dime and sometimes nothing at all. If I wanted money, I had to find ways to earn it - and boy, I was eager to do so.   However, the regular chores did not earn you money.  It had to well above and beyond the call of regular chores.

I worked hard as a kid, doing anything I could that might earn money - from pulling weeds for neighbors, feeding cows, or hoeing cotton for others. When I was about 14 years old,(1965) my parents allowed me to drive a tractor for a neighbor.  Mind you it wasn’t anything that required great driving skills, and the tractor by default was a 70 model John Deere with an awning.  Not the best of conditions.  A little dusty but a tandem disc and at least 80 acres with no obstructions was my best job.  But I was so thrilled to have this type of job that I would get there early and stay late and as I went round and round with that tandem.  I would calculate over and over again how much money I had made so far.  Let’s see $2.00 per hour and I have been here 4 hours and 15 minutes.  Wow!  At this rate I am really going to make some money this week. 

Overall, I was totally delighted to have a job and earn money.  Even if it was not of the best conditions and the best equipment, I was thrilled to have the job.  This was the mindset of most of the kids of that era.  This thinking doesn’t seem to exist today.  When the thought of a job arises, a young person today will ask abruptly, how much do I get paid and something about how hard is the work. 

Apparently, this is the attitude of the  kids near farms today.  Too few of the lame, lazy kids that do live near farmers want work as badly as I did. Otherwise...otherwise we wouldn't be arguing about what to do with illegal migrant workers. We wouldn’t need them and we wouldn't be hiring them at the rate we do, and they wouldn't have the same lure to sneak illegally into America.

Tony Dungy to Receive "Friend of Family" Award

Hit Out of Bounds

If you stand for marriage and family, you're likely to face a blind-side blitz. That's the message being sent by homosexual rights groups to Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy. Coach Dungy is scheduled to appear at a March 20 banquet where he will receive the Indiana Family Institute's "Friend of the Family" award. The homosexual groups are attacking the Super Bowl-winning coach because the Institute supports an amendment to the state's constitution that defines marriage as being between one man and one woman. One aghast gay activist told The Indianapolis Star, "Dungy appears to be an upstanding guy, but the coach's willingness to appear at this banquet strikes him as tantamount to endorsing its opposition to gay marriage." Such pressure even prompted the Colts to issue a statement that Coach Dungy speaks on his own and that his "feelings on the importance of marriage and family are well known." Coach Dungy should be applauded, not condemned, for his championship role for the family.

Home Equity Basics

Home Equity Basics

 Purchasing a home is a huge event in anyone's life. It's an investment that, over time, will yield you a significant profit. As the years progress, the value of your home will increase. When the time comes to sell, you'll find that in most cases you'll be able to get significantly more for your home than what you originally paid for it; yielding you a profit on your original investment.

But the resale value of your home is not the only value your home contains. When you purchase a home and make payments on your home mortgage, you start building what is called home equity -- which is the difference between the current resale value of a home and the amount still owed on the mortgage. As the principal of the mortgage amount decreases when you make payments, the home equity increases.  

What is the Value of Home Equity?

Home equity is money in the bank. Home owners can borrow against their home's equity to pay for home repairs and renovations, school tuition, costly medical expenses, and even pay off debt. Your home provides you with financial opportunities not many lenders can provide. Home equity is a significant advantage to purchasing a home and a great financial resource to have. You never know what life will throw at you. It's always good to have a readily available resource to turn to when you're faced with a financial crisis.

How do I use My Home Equity?

If you want to use your home's equity for home repairs, college tuition, etc., you first need to get a home equity loan. There are two types of home equity loans: 1) a second mortgage (a.k.a. traditional home equity loan); and 2) a home equity line of credit loan. A second mortgage is a loan where the lender lends you a lump sum, based on your home's equity, and interest starts accumulating once the loan is issued. A home equity line of credit loan, however, is a loan where the lender presents you with a credit card or checkbook that you can use to make purchases. Just like a second mortgage, the amount you can spend is based on your home's equity. But unlike a second mortgage, interest on a home equity line of credit loan doesn't start accumulating until you make your first purchase with the card/checkbook.

Both home equity loan types are feasible means to utilizing your home's equity. Which type of loan you choose is up to you and your specific financial needs. Both loan types are primarily low interest loans and, for most home equity loans, the interest you pay is tax deductible.

However, it is important to know that when you take out a home equity loan, it means the lender can reposes your home if you default on your payments. In other words, if you don't pay your home equity loan in full or default on too many payment, the bank or lender can take away your home and use its current value to pay for what's owed. So it's crucial that you maintain your loan payments.
Purchasing a home is a venture worth taking. The appreciation of your home's value and the equity you can build make your home a profitable investment that can't easily be matched.

Wish I Had Thought of That!

When I think about it......It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew my hours were limited.

Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write one of these days.

Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my spouse and parents often enough how much I truly love them.

I'm going to try very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives.

And every morning when I open my eyes, tell myself that it is special.

Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift from God.

Quotes From Mayberry - Life as it should be!

This is the country at its best. Barney and Andy discussing buying gifts.

Barney Fife: The last big buy was my mom's and dad's anniversary present.
Andy Taylor: What'd ya get 'em?
Barney Fife: A septic tank.
Andy Taylor: For their anniversary?
Barney Fife: They're awful hard to buy for. Besides, it was something they could use. They were really thrilled. It had two tons of concrete in it. All steel reinforced.
Andy Taylor: You're a fine son, Barn.
Barney Fife: I try.

Hillbilly Willy - The Morning After...What does it Mean

Check this out. Some fun about Hillary, NewtGingrich, Politics, and how it all rolls down hill!

Hillbilly Willy -Fun, Food & Politics: The Morning After...What Does It Mean?

It's Just Me!

A happy heart makes the face cheerful,but heartache crushes the spirit.

I chance to pass a window
whilewalking through a mall;
With nothing much upon my mind,
quite blank as I recall.
I noticed in that window
a cranky-faced old man,
And while he looked so cranky
I didn't understand.
Just why he looked at ME that way
was more than I could see
Until I came to realize
that cranky man was me!