The Sisterhood Of The Travelling Bovines... UPDATE ALERT!

UPDATE! Okay, I apparently screwed up big time by saying that I was passing the bovines to Daryl. My bad? Highly doubtful. I haven't really been bad since I last had a waistline, eons ago. Unfortunately, there were no rules or instructions passed along with Fred and Bessie, which means I innocently screwed up so it isn't all that bad. Frankly, I was just being thoughtless, otherwise I would certainly have asked. Sooooo... they are now going to Seattle to visit with Asthma Girl, with whom I KNOW they will have an outstanding time... if they can keep up. I get exhausted just reading about all that she does. She may have asthma, but this woman does NOT let it slow her down at all. She is simply amazing in her accomplishments, so I have no doubts that Fred and Bessie will be in competent hands.

I've at last come to the conclusion that this whole thing with Fred and Bessie being passed from blogger to blogger is sheer genius and reminds me of the movie "The Sisterhood Of The Travelling Pants", hence I'm giving the ongoing saga of Fred and Bessie's travels a new title. "The Sisterhood Of The Travelling Bovines". I only saw the aforementioned movie once, quite a while ago, so I hope I have this right. Basically, a group of friends who must split up for one reason or another, make a pact to stay friends and stay connected no matter where their paths lead them. I believe this storyline fits Fred and Bessie to a T.


I always liked that idea and I believe that what Ms. Flea started is a positive, wonderful, heart-felt movement inspired by a simple set of ceramic salt and pepper bovines. It helps the readers get to know each hostess and their environment better, allowing the hostess to see things from an entirely new perspective as well. Mr. Snooty mentioned how silly he thought it was, as I'm sure many readers would agree, but it goes so much deeper than the silliness. It's actually just another much needed form of female bonding and therapy. The very thing we all need as a result of living in a world filled with crime, violence, hate, judgement, wars, malcontent, and all the other vile contents of Pandora's Box.

I never got to take F and B to a Midland Rockhounds (Triple A) baseball game, nor did we ever make it out to The Confederate Air force Base, which houses a large number of World War II fighter planes as well as an amazing amount of WWII memorabilia. However, I've come to see my town in a new light and have decided that perhaps Midland isn't such a dull place. You just have to look a little harder for excitement. Snooty Cat *Trouble* is going to miss the bovines tremendously. She was beginning to think they were relatives, being the same color and all.

So, as I pass Fred and Bessie along to AsthmaGirl, I will do so with my good wishes on their invisible wings. May they spread happiness wherever they may roam...


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Fred And Bessie Experience The Flat Lands and Oil Wells...


As promised, I took F and B for a nice ride outside of town in order to see some real drilling rigs and pump jacks. They were so tickled until they saw the real thing and realized how unglamorous it all is. It's a dirty, dangerous business and the only perk is the money. Drilling for oil is a complete gamble, no matter how great everything looks from all aspects. It's still a shot in the dark. You have to be a gambler in this business, which means taking the bad with the good, and it isn't always fun. Perhaps this is why so many people out here like to go to Las Vegas. People in the oil business are basically gambling fools. Some are just luckier than others.


Now, our section of the West Texas Permian Basin is as flat as a pancake, which means one must look a bit deeper to see the beauty that lies within. There are no mountains and there are no hills. We do, however, have gullies, washes, blow-holes, ravines, arroyos, mesas, maize fields, plateaus, wheat fields, prairie dog cities, cotton fields, prickly pear cactus, and caliche pits. Mesquite bushes with roots up to ten miles long have been found on many occasions, as well as Yucca plants whose roots seemingly go to China.


Since we have such an abundance of mesquite around here, you'd have to be a moron to buy it for smoking & cooking. As a matter of fact, I have some out in the alley that I use on occasion. Do you see the green bushy looking things off the side of the road? That's Mesquite.



Now, when drilling for oil, a drilling rig is placed on the site, like the one you see in the distance. Once oil has been found, a pump jack is put into place to extract the oil. If a pump jack is operating, then you see it moving up and down. If it is no longer pumping out crude oil, then it remains stationary. Fred and Bessie thought it might be fun to ride a pump jack but I nipped that idea in the bud instantly.






Many say that Texas is being taken over by Prickly Pear Cactus, which might be true. Look at the picture and you can decide.




At any rate, I believe Fred and Bessie had a most excellent time in West Texas and I know I will miss their sweet faces when they are gone. It has been great fun being their hostess.