Thursday, December 31, 2009

 

Happy New Years Eve From Dudleys Diary ...

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Tuesday, December 29, 2009

 

Dudley Did Not Get That Model 70 Winchester For Christmas ...

that he has been wanting but he did get 1000 rounds of Winchester Wildcat .22 High Velocity ammo. Dudley has been stockpiling ammo for a rainy day. The bullets came in two cool replica wooden ammo crates. They look like old Winchester shipping crates. Dudley is not sure what he is going to do with them, but will probably put them up on a shelf so they can be admired. Dudley had several hundred rounds of .22 ammo stockpiled out in the garage and found out a while ago that Frank had found them and snuck off back when he was in high school and shot up all of them. Dudley is now keeping all of his ammo stored inside so he can keep his eye on it and make sure none of it walks off on its own. Frank is pretty bad about raiding Dudley's tackle box as well. Dudley has some old mint condition collectible lures that are no longer made and he knows they are off limits. When Dudley was a kid, he used to raid his fathers tackle box as well and must be getting paid back for his transgressions. The weather has been bad all day, it started raining early and then turned to snow and then more rain. Dudley stayed inside all day today and will probably do the same tomorrow. Not too much going on around the Dudley domicile.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

 

Dudleys Kids Christmas Day Over At Grandmother's House ...


Saturday, December 26, 2009

 

We Had A White Christmas Here At The Dudley Domicile ...






and it was worth the wait! Dudley has been waiting 50 years for a White Christmas and the wait is over. The weatherman said the last time for this area was in 1926. Dudley's father would have been exactly three weeks old and Dudley's mother was not even born yet. It was great looking out the window and watching it snow Christmas Eve. The bad thing is Dudley was unable to leave the house on Christmas day and had to miss going over to his mothers for breakfast and presents. Dudley could not risk falling on the ice and snow. Dudley has enough trouble walking without the snow and ice. Foxy our American Eskimo dog loved the snow and cold weather. Dudley is home alone this weekend, after eating breakfast at Dudley's mothers house, the wife and kids took off for East Texas to spend the weekend with the in laws. Frank is going to get in one last deer hunt. He and his grandpa went this morning and saw a big old doe. It was cold and they fired up a propane heater in the deer stand. Frank said it made the lower twenty degree morning a lot more tolerable. Dudley is going to watch the Dallas Mavericks today and tomorrow night will watch the Cowboys. Dudley finally got the White Christmas he has been waiting for so long. Maybe the Texas Rangers will finally make it to the World Series next year. If Tom Hicks would sell the team to Nolan Ryan, it just might happen. If Tom Hicks stays in control, there is probably a better chance that hell will freeze over.

Friday, December 25, 2009

 

Merry Christmas From Dudleys Diary ...

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Thursday, December 24, 2009

 

Merry Christmas Eve From Dudleys Diary ...


Wednesday, December 23, 2009

 

It Does Not Pay To Take Risks Any More, Got It From Big Sis ...



Tuesday, December 22, 2009

 

Dudley Always Has Liked Those Big Racks ...


Monday, December 21, 2009

 

The Real Reason ...

The real reason that we can't have the Ten
Commandments posted in a courthouse is this: You cannot post
'Thou Shalt Not Steal,' 'Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery,' and
'Thou Shall Not Lie' in a building full of lawyers, judges and
politicians...It creates a hostile work environment.

 

Dudley Does Not Miss Going Back To Work On Monday ...



Sunday, December 20, 2009

 

Dudley's Daughter Woke Up Sick This Morning ...


with a stomach virus. She has been throwing up and feels terrible. She is drinking a little Sprite and eating a few crackers is all. Probably one of those 24 hour bugs. I hope she is feeling a lot better by tomorrow. She is out of school for Christmas break, what a way to spend her vacation. She had planned a trip to Dallas today with her mother to go shopping and to try out a new restaurant. That will have to wait until she is better. Dudley has been watching football all day. Frank is out in the yard blowing all of the leaves into piles so he can bag them and put them out on the curb for pick up. Dudley was pleasantly surprised last night to see the Cowboys defeat the Saints. Maybe there is still hope for this season, time will tell. Frank went to a concert Friday night and bought a cheap standing room only ticket. While he was waiting for the concert to begin he noticed the Texas Rangers first baseman Chris Davis standing nearby. Frank said his name and he turned and looked and Frank introduced himself and they talked for twenty or thirty minutes. Frank said he was a real nice guy. Hopefully the Rangers will have a good season next year and make the playoffs.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

 

Texas Helicopter Hog Control Hunt ...


Friday, December 18, 2009

 

Dudley Got Some Bad News Yesterday ...


when he spoke to his auto mechanic. Dudley's wife took her mini van to the shop yesterday and dropped it off to replace a headlight and check out the power steering that had begun to make a funny noise. The van is three years old and the power steering never has seemed like it was working properly. Dudley had the dealer look at it while it was under warranty and they said they could not find anything wrong with it. Now the whole damn power steering unit needs to be replaced and it is going to cost around $600.00. Dudley never buys extended warranties on anything but when we bought this van the wife insisted we purchase the extended warranty good for up to five full years or 100,000 miles. I am glad she talked me into it now, because it looks like the repair is only going to cost us a $100.00 deductible. Something is always breaking around the Dudley domicile or in need for some kind of repair.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

 

Finally Got Some Photos Of Frank And His 36 Inch 20 Pound Redfish ...



Wednesday, December 16, 2009

 

This Is Why You Should Stay Out Of The Storm Drains In Florida ...






Tuesday, December 15, 2009

 

Mission Accomplished ...



Monday, December 14, 2009

 

Some Photos From The Texas Hill Country ...







of our hunting trip. We had a fantastic time hunting in one of the most beautiful areas of the great state of Texas. We left early Friday morning and went by and picked up Jeff and headed south. On the way we stopped and got some Rabkes jerky and then headed over to the Willow City Loop. When we got to Kerrville, we checked in to the Y.O. Ranch Resort and Conference Center. We got up early Saturday morning and went to McDonald's for breakfast and then got on the Interstate and headed west. We went about fifteen miles and took an exit and headed south to the ranch. We met the ranch owner at the gate and he took us to the camp house and we loaded our gear into his brand new Suburban and started our hunt. This was the nicest mobile deer stand Dudley has ever hunted out of. In Texas it is legal to hunt and or shoot out of a vehicle if you are on private property. We let Franks buddy Jeff sit up front and we took off looking for a whitetail buck for him to shoot. This was a management hunt for two whitetail bucks. We were looking for younger bucks with six or seven points. We began to see deer right off of the bat. There was some rutting activity going on from the secondary rut and we saw several groups of deer back in the brush with one or two does and multiple bucks. A lot of the bucks we saw were bigger than what we were looking for but it was fun to watch them through the binoculars chasing does. About 8:45 we were driving through the woods and saw a group of deer back in the brush. We stopped and the deer were up on a hill on Jeff's side of the vehicle. The owner said the buck on the right was a six point and gave Jeff the go ahead to shoot. Jeff aimed his model 700 in 30.06 caliber out the window and put the cross hairs on the bucks shoulder and boom, the buck fell in his tracks! Jeff had just bagged his first whitetail buck and we were excited to say the least. After taking some pictures, Jeff and Frank dragged his buck down to the road. Walter called one of his ranch hands and told him where the buck was so they could drive out on the Polaris four wheeler and pick up the buck and field dress him and take him and put him in the cooler. We continued with our hunt looking for a buck for Frank to shoot. We hunted the rest of the morning and then took a break for lunch. We went to town and ate and then went back out to the ranch. We met up with one of the ranch hands who took us out for Frank and Jeff to shoot an exotic doe. We drove until we came up on some exotic deer bedded down in the brush. Frank picked out a Fallow doe and made a perfect neck shot dropping her where she lay. The guide loaded her up and Frank and Jeff switched places and we then went looking for a Sika doe for Jeff. We were driving down the road and spotted a Sika buck running a Sika doe. Jeff got out, put Dudley's model 700 in .243 caliber on the shooting stick and took a shot at the running deer. The doe fell down from a perfect shot through both lungs! He said he led her about one foot and pulled the trigger. The guide was excited as we all were that Jeff had made such a difficult shot on a running deer. The guide loaded Jeff's deer and we went back to the camp house. They field dressed the does and hung them in the cooler. We then got in Walters Suburban and went back out looking for a whitetail buck for Frank. We saw a lot of deer but the bucks we saw had too many or too few points. We continued driving the ranch roads and we saw a six point buck way across a pasture. Frank ranged the deer with Dudley's binoculars and it was 285 yards away and Frank said he did not want to shoot that far so we kept driving and looking. Right before dark we were rounding a bend and saw a group of deer out in a field. Walter said the buck on the right was a seven point and was a shooter. Frank put the gun out the window and the buck turned and all you could see was the deers ass end and head about 75 yards away. Frank put the cross hairs just above the deers back and aimed for the center of the back of the deers neck and pulled the trigger. The buck fell in his tracks from a perfect neck shot! When he ground checked the buck, Frank was surprised to find out the buck was an eight point. Frank and Jeff dragged the deer over for pictures and Walter called one of his ranch hands to come out and pick up the buck and take him back to the camp house. After field dressing, the deer were loaded up into Dudley's truck. We said our goodbye's and headed back to town and dropped off the deer at the processors. Frank and Jeff decided to get European mounts of their bucks. It was a great hunt and one that we all will remember as long as life lasts. Dudley is really glad he decided to take Jeff on this trip and let the young men do all of the shooting. Dudley had no pressure on him at all. Dudley really enjoyed this trip just taking in all of the scenery and watching the deer. Getting to see your son take his tenth whitetail deer and his buddy take his first whitetail buck, man it does not get any better than that!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

 

Dudley Has Gone Hunting Will Post From The Hill Country If The Wireless Internet Is Working ...



 

Dudley Is Getting Ready To Go Down To The Texas Hill Country ...


on his yearly deer hunting trip. These trips are getting harder on Dudley each year but they are so much fun. Dudley is going to keep hunting as long as he possibly can. Dudley made a heck of a deal on a hunt to take two mature management whitetail bucks and two exotic does. Dudley had planned to take his son and daughter on this hunt. Dudley's daughter has been on a hunt or two with her older brother. She expressed an interest in deer hunting at a young age and Dudley had told her when she was a little older he would take her on a deer hunting trip. Dudley made a mistake and waited too long. Lizzie is 17 years of age and when Dudley told her about the hunt, she seemed excited at first and then a few days later she said she had thought about it and she did not want to kill a deer. Dudley respects her decision but is a little sad and wonders if he should have taken her hunting sooner. She has always loved animals of any kind from a very young age and is very caring and nurturing in her interactions with them. I guess one of the reasons Dudley did not take her at a younger age is the fear that she would have shot a deer and then had second thoughts and asked Dudley to call a vet. Dudley told her it is OK if she chooses to be a non hunter, just don't be an anti hunter. Dudley is going to take Frank and Jeff on the trip and let them do all of the shooting. Dudley is going to go along for the ride. It should be a great trip and Dudley will be sure to take some photos and will post them on Dudley's Diary.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

 

Dudley Wants To Go Hunting At This Place ...



Tuesday, December 8, 2009

 

This Is The First House That Dudley And Wife Bought ...





a few years after getting married. It was a nice house on a little over four acres in the East Texas countryside. It was a great place and we lived there for about seven years. We moved from there when Frank was two years old. It was a three bedroom two bath house and was around 1600 square feet including the two car garage. We bought the home brand new from the builder. We got a good deal at the time and paid I think just over $50,000.00. You sure can't buy much of a house for that price any more. Dudley used to plant a cover crop at the bottom of the hill down by the creek and enjoyed watching deer from the 12 x 24 foot deck we built. The deck is still there with the porch swing on the end. In the evening we would sit out on the deck and when the weather was right we might be treated to see a weather balloon launch from the balloon base located about five miles to the east of the house. After Frank was born, we closed in the finished garage and put in a hardwood floor and a brick floor for a wood burning stove. We put paneling up that looked like distressed barn wood and Dudley's deer looked really cool on the wall. Dudley noticed the people that have the house now built a free standing two car garage where Dudley's dog pen used to be. If Dudley had stayed in the house, he would have built a carport off of the front of the old garage. When we had the house it was built in the middle of an old pasture in a clearing with trees down at the bottom of the hill and up the side of the country road that came to a point just off of the corner of the house. Who ever bought it has planted a bunch of pine trees all over the property. When we had the house it was painted a rich country blue with white trim. Now the house is painted all white and does not look nearly as nice as when Dudley lived there. The fifty foot television antenna tower Dudley put in is still there and Dudley also saw a satellite dish up on the roof. The home is located within a few miles of three maximum security men's prisons. I hope the new owners keep a loaded gun in the night stand. Dudley always did as escapes seem to happen on a fairly regular basis. It would not hurt to have a dog either come to think of it.

Monday, December 7, 2009

 

This Is The Taxidermy Shop And Deer Processor ...



Dudley has been going to for the last quarter of a century. Damn Dudley is getting old isn't he? I remember the first time I went there to get a bobcat mounted and at that time they were doing their taxidermy work out of a portable shop building at one of the taxidermists homes. Soon after that they bought the property on the highway and built the big taxidermy shop. Years later they added the Jerky business. They produce top quality work out of their shop. They placed high in the taxidermy competitions in the early years and have done a lot of work for some of Texas wealthiest hunters. They also do taxidermy work for poor boys like Dudley. They have mounted a bobcat, turkey, two wood ducks, a hybrid striped bass and a boar hog and a bunch of whitetail deer shoulder mounts for Dudley over the years. Dudley will probably not be getting any more taxidermy work done unless he ever makes it on his dream hunt to South Texas for a Muy Grande Whitetail buck. If that ever happens, Dudley may just get one more deer mounted.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

 

Dudley Was Born Ready ...


Dudley and Frank got up early this morning and took off in Dudley's truck for East Texas. Frank drove and Dudley just went along for the ride. It was an interesting trip for Dudley as we drove through some of Dudley's old stomping grounds that Dudley has not seen in many years. We went through some towns where Dudley used to go when he was working right after college. The most amazing thing was going by and seeing the old house out in the country that we were living in when Frank was born in 1989. We moved out of the home in 1991, and Dudley can not remember for sure the last time he saw the place but it must have been around 15 years ago. Dudley will post some photos of the house tomorrow as it looks now. It is amazing how things have changed over the years. We saw three road kill wild hogs on the road today and several hawks this morning sitting in trees beside the road. We did not see any deer but we were looking and did see a few deer stands. The Trinity River was close to flood stage from all of the rain we have had. We went to the Taxidermy/Deer Processing place Dudley started going to around a quarter of a century ago. We picked up the deer meat from Frank's and Jeff's does and brought it home. Frank is going to grill bacon wrapped backstrap out on the grill tonight. Jeff is going to come over and help Frank cook and eat dinner with us and take his deer meat home. We are really looking forward to eating some venison for dinner.

Friday, December 4, 2009

 

Happy Birthday Dad, Your Son Loves You And You Are Missed ...






Thursday, December 3, 2009

 

Tiger Woods 2009 Christmas Card, Got It From Texas Fred ...


Wednesday, December 2, 2009

 

This Photo Is Of Close To 100 Deer Racks ...


reported to have been taken from the attics of two men in Oklahoma who have been charged recently with poaching a Boone and Crockett class whitetail deer that was shot illegally at night on property owned by British Petroleum. I wonder how many of those animals were taken illegally, the majority most likely. I hope they throw the book at them. Dudley woke up early this morning and was a little surprised to see that it was snowing. It snowed pretty hard for a while but it it too warm so it melted as soon as it hit the ground. It was fun to watch while it lasted.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

 

It Is Cold And Has Rained Most Of The Day ...

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here at the Dudley domicile. This is the kind of day Dudley likes to stay inside but there were too many errands that needed to be run today. Dudley got out this afternoon in the cold and the rain and went to the bank and then went by the Lotto store. Then went and got the oil changed in Dudley's pick up and then to the gas station for a fill up. Then it was over to the Barber Shop for a hair cut and a moustache and beard trim. By the time Dudley made it home he was pretty well tired out. There is not one football game or basketball game on TV that Dudley wants to watch tonight. Guess I will spend some time on the computer then turn in and go to be early for a change.

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