Barbershops?

   If you ever find yourself in the Philippines and your hair is a bit shaggy, take an afternoon and find a Barber Shop. What a great way to spend some time.
   First you get the nice hot bath followed by a great massage. Every muscle in your body is beat into submission even to the point where you can't walk for at least three hours. As you sit recuperating, they bring you a nice mixed drink. Ahh! 
   Then it's time for a pedicure. Yup, rock star treatment. Any callouses? They take care of that too. Then in walks the gal who does the manicure. Yup, nice and slow with lots of conversation.
   then you head for another private room where you get your hair sculpted and your face shaved. Then you must choose from about 200 different aftershave concoctions. Life can be so difficult.
   One more dip into a hot tub and if you feel able, out on the street and hail a Pedicab home.
   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book To Waltz with a White Horse.
  Good Reading,
Ron

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Politics

   Sometimes we become a bit flabbergasted at what some call politics. These elected officials give us all heartburn and some a bad case of diarrhea. But look around. It is indeed unique.
   Of all the countries around the globe, there are very few leaders that stand for election. In some of the countries of South America, election by the people is soon followed by a turn to a dictatorship. Hugo Chavez is a good example of this. When a newspaper wrote about his power grab, he shut them down.
   So even when we just can't stand another politician, think of the alternative.
   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book To Waltz with a White Horse.
  Good Reading,
Ron

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Drugs

   In my book "To Waltz with a White Horse" we see the battles that Sarge goes through trying to stay off drugs. That was a long time ago, but the problem of drug abuse is quite pervasive in our country.

   Like most of the people in Minnesota, we've been affected by drug abuse. You can go into the store to buy a quart of milk and the chances are good that you'll see someone under the influence of drugs.

   Young people are under constant pressure to try drugs and a high percentage of them do try it. They think they can walk up to the devil and kick him in the ankle. They may get away with it a couple times, but sometimes even a single try can leave them wanting more and more.

   So watch your kids and know where they are at all times. Try hard to be the parent they so desperately need,

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book To Waltz with a White Horse.
  Good Reading,
Ron

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Chupacabra?

   Here in Northern Minnesota, we hear tales of critters so big and mean that they eat lumberjacks for breakfast, dinner and supper. Some people report seeing big hairy critters that look a lot like their mother-in-law but few have the guts to say such things out loud.
   A couple days ago, a woman found a critter dead along side the road. It wasn't like anything she'd seen before so she reported it to the authorities. She described it as being white skinned with long nails and a large tuft of fur on its back, and having an odor similar to her ex-husband but refused to go into details.
   So if you're planning a vacation here, bring a gun.
   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book To Waltz with a White Horse.
  Good Reading,
Ron

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Chow

   As an old GI I remember the extreme high quality of the food in the mess halls. On my first trip there so many years ago, I remember thinking that the place was appropriately named. It was a mess. We ate things that would kill weaker men, but I guess we survived.
   One of the worst things I ate was Minestrone Soup. It was always served on Fridays and contained all of the things we wouldn't eat earlier in the week. Then there was the mashed potatoes. That one should have been served with a straw to drink it. Peach pie. The old joke was that if it tasted like putty it was peach. If it tasted like glue, it was apple. Funny how they all tasted the same.
   But there was one thing the military cooked that everyone loved. S.O.S. Creamed beef on toast or the more common phrase "S__t on a shingle. It was widely known that nobody ever died with a gob of that in his gut.
   For many years I tried to make that stuff but never even got close to getting it right. Maybe if I reenlist.  
   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book To Waltz with a White Horse.
  Good Reading,
Ron

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Walter Reed Army Hospital

   In just the last few weeks, one of the most prestigious US Army hospitals closed its doors. For many years this hospital served the needs of the nation's military. At any given moment dedicated medical professionals care for the worst of the war wounded. 
   Sure the future needs will be taken care of, but I see it going the way of NASA and our getting out of the space program. 
   The bottom line is money, not the lack of it, but the government wanting to spend those funds on their other interests. The sad part is that once they lock the door on these places, they will never unlock them. They're gone forever.
   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book To Waltz with a White Horse.
  Good Reading,
Ron

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EX GI's ...... Never Happen!

    Today I heard that the United States lost another 31 troops in Afghanistan. These men were fathers, brothers, sons and darned hard working soldiers willing to give up their lives for their country.

   To all of us who served in the military, these were our brothers. It's not as if we're ex-soldiers, because there is no such thing. Once a GI, always a GI. 

   To all who love these men I say "Thank you for your sacrifice."

   But the time has passed where these troops are needed. Now is the time to bring them home with honor. Let's protect our own borders, not those of a country half way around the globe who 

neither deserve our help or want it.

   Stop in when you get home GI. I'll buy you a beer.

   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "To Waltz with a White Horse" at  Amazon.com and www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book To Waltz with a White Horse.
  Good Reading,
Ron

Cover design and formatting by COVERSAREUS.COM

Canoe Camping

   One of the best part of long canoe trips is the quiet and the slow pace. If you think you've seen it all in nature, get into a canoe and plan on at least a week alone. You don't need much for equipment.

   The first two days you'll be fighting the urge to cover a lot of river, trying to see it all right now. Take your time. You need to keep a straight course, but that means only paddling once in a while. Sometimes you can move along quite well by just dragging your paddle and turning the blade back and forth to steer. 

   If this is unfamiliar water, keep an eye and ear tuned to the river. Sometimes a rapids can appear in mere moments putting your skills to the test. If you can't see the end of the rapids, pull into shore and take a walk. You might just save your life. Impatience is your worst enemy.   

   Along toward late afternoon, start looking for a place to spend the night. Any small opening will do. If you wait too long, you could find yourself in the dark, hanging onto a branch with your fingers crossed. 

   A small meal cooked over a reassuring fire is certainly one of best parts of the trip. A good book read by firelight is an experience you'll never forget.

   A tent is pretty nice sometimes, but sleeping under an overturned canoe isn't too bad either. A small piece of plastic sheeting weighs very little and if it siorms, it's worth its weight in gold.

   So leave your Lazyboy recliner behind. There's adventure waiting.

   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "To Waltz with a White Horse" at  Amazon.com and www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book To Waltz with a White Horse.
  Good Reading,
Ron

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Chasing the Sunset

    For many young men, heading out across the wide Pacific Ocean was the beginning of an adventure not soon forgotten. Sitting in a crowded aircraft with other men, you soon started looking for something to help pass time. 

   Looking out the window for hour after hour turned up little to excite the imagination. Once in a while you'd see a boat of some kind but as high as we were, it could have been an island or a coconut.

   Then it dawned on us that as we traveled west, we were chasing the sunset. Now that's not something we'd done before. Hour after hour, the sun sat on the very edge of the horizon. For those of us who still thought the earth was flat, the whole thing was spectacular.

   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "To Waltz with a White Horse" at  Amazon.com and www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book To Waltz with a White Horse.
  Good Reading,
Ron

Cover design and formatting by COVERSAREUS.COM

Heroin

   In the book "To Waltz with a White Horse" I write about one man's addiction to heroin. He went from an every day Army Sergeant to an addict in just a week. Before he knew what was happening, he was a regular user.

   Many good troops in the Vietnam era came home with addictions. The main reason was that they thought they could twist the devil's tail a time or two and get away with it. Most were young men who thought they were invincible. Nothing could hurt them.

   We saw these young warriors come home in buses, planes and body bags. Some made it but many would sell their soul for just one more hit.

    You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "To Waltz with a White Horse" at  Amazon.com and www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book To Waltz with a White Horse.
  Good Reading,
Ron

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Farm families

 This past weekend I had the rare pleasure of attending a family reunion in southern Minnesota. By the time I returned home, I had been hugged, squeezed, kissed by a sweet older lady and even adopted into a family of truly fine folks.

   Most of this grand group originated in Minnesota’s farming areas and spent many hours playing in the hay mow. What can be more fun than that!

   Some of that bunch migrated out west where the sky seems a lot bigger. One gentleman said that his new combine doesn’t even need a driver. You just sit in the cab and read the newspaper. 

   In case I made it all sound a bit too easy, consider these things. A hail storm can take you from riches to rags in an hour. A good rain can make you a half a million dollars.  The stock market can be pretty tough on farmers.

   So thank you to those fine folks the Habbens and Williams. I had more fun than a man my age is entitled to.

   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "To Waltz with a White Horse" at  Amazon.com and www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book To Waltz with a White Horse.
  Good Reading,
Ron

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Neighborhood Bully

     Well, the neighborhood bully paid a visit to our little place in the woods last night. The bird feeder is in a shambles and the fence around the chickens looks a little worse for wear. Bears do whatever they want, whenever they want.

   WWBD. Yes that's the main question. What would a bear do. If you were a bear strolling through the woods and you smelled a big juicy cheeseburger, you'd do whatever you could to get it. That's the way bears are about bird feeders. There are no limits on them.
   After having this one uprooted so many times, I just gave up. I put a big ball of concrete on the bottom so that when they tip it over, I can just go outside and stand it up again. The important part is to wait until the bear leaves.

   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "To Waltz with a White Horse" at  Amazon.com and www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 
   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book To Waltz with a White Horse.
  Good Reading,
Ron

Cover design and formatting by COVERSAREUS.COM

Alaska

   If you're a dreamer, if you look at rivers and wonder where they go, if you see a glint of gold and your imagination does cartwheels, maybe you need to make a trip to Alaska. I mean a real trip to Alaska. 
   Bring a canoe you can trust and a friend you can trust even more. Alaska is a jealous lady and will kill you at her first chance. The only way to get around is by river. It requires strong arms and stronger mental attitude. Around each bend in the river you can expect a surprise. It might be a big bear with cubs or a big bull moose in a bad mood. Or maybe its a glint of gold sparkling in the sunshine.
   The one thing you'll never find in Alaska is boredom. 
   In the book "To Waltz with a White Horse" you'll find this adventure and as you keep turning pages, you'll feel your muscles tense as if you were really there.
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "To Waltz with a White Horse" at  Amazon.com and www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 
   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book To Waltz with a White Horse.
  Good Reading,
Ron

Cover design and formatting by COVERSAREUS.COM

Thank a Vet

   We are getting a lot of new veterans coming home from overseas operations. Some stand up straight and tall and some sit straight and tall in their wheel chairs. Some didn't make it home at all. 
   But when you see one of our troops, tell them "Thank You".  If you're in a position to help him find a job, do it. He stood on the front lines for us, now let's do something for him.
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "To Waltz with a White Horse" at  Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 
   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book To Waltz with a White Horse.
Good Reading,
Ron
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Spawning time.

    For a fisherman one of the best times of year to put up some extra meat is during the spawn in the early spring. Big Northerns slowly move upstream and find small creeks with slow moving water to lay their eggs. The smaller males seek out the females ripe with eggs. 
   The female finds a secluded spot and with the male along side, lays her eggs in one large mass. As the eggs fall to the bottom, the male fertilizes them.
   The next thing he does is get the heck out of the area. The female sometimes outweighs the male by twenty-five pounds. If he stays too long, he's invited to a candle light dinner with him being the main course.
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "To Waltz with a White Horse" at  Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book To Waltz with a White Horse.
Good Reading,
Ron

Cover design and formatting by COVERSAREUS.COM

Minnesota Gold

   In the book "To Waltz with a White Horse" I talk about how Sarge goes on a trip looking for a gold mine his father left him. But in reality, he didn't have to paddle very far. 
   Here in Northern Minnesota, there's gold, and lots of it. I know of a couple guys who combine their love of camping with their search for gold. They go into the Boundary Waters each summer and pan for gold. While it may not be the richest of  finds, they get enough to make it worth their time.   
   As a kid, I remember finding gold but never had any idea of how to separate it from the mud and sand that it came with. So today I sit here thinking of whether or not there's enough gold to make it worthwhile. Heck, I might just be rich next year..... or maybe not. You see, it's the dreaming that makes life worthwhile.   
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "To Waltz with a White Horse" at  Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book To Waltz with a White Horse.
Good Reading,
Ron

Cover design and formatting by COVERSAREUS.COM

Bonfires

   
   Have you ever just built a fire outdoors and cooked a meal. It's a real treat for the senses. But not that long ago, that was how your meals were made. It wasn't a means to make a meal, it was the only way to make a meal. Cast Iron frying pans were heavy, but quite necessary. If you had the room you carried a Dutch Oven.
   Now there's a method of cooking that just can't be beat. It's about a four quart kettle with a tight fitting flat lid.
   Once you had a good fire going and a lot of coals were ready, You put your meal together. On the bottom went the days meat and an onion. Then you threw in a potato or two and a carrot if you had it. A dash of salt and pepper rounded out your meal. Then you put on the lid and placed the whole thing in the coals. Then a scoop of the coals covered the flat lid letting it cook from all directions. 
   After about an hour and a half, it was time to eat. Surely food fit for a king.
   You can find the EBook Kindle edition of this book, "To Waltz with a White Horse" at  Amazon.com and at www.peaceriverbooks.com. The Peace River Books blog is updated each day. 

   Stop in once in a while. I'll try to write something new and informative about my book To Waltz with a White Horse.
Good Reading,
Ron