Dudleys Diary

R.I.P. Foxy ...

2012-01-24T18:51:00.003-06:00

you were a sweet, loyal, loving part of our lives for many years. You are not hurting any longer and I pray you are in a better place.

Dark Town After Dark Loose Shoes ...

2012-01-16T15:21:00.000-06:00

Dublin Dr. Pepper, RIP Another Victim Of Corporate Greed ...

2012-01-14T16:02:00.000-06:00

What A Way To Bring In The New Year ...

2012-01-02T21:02:00.001-06:00

This Is The New/Old Pond Down At The Farm ...

2011-12-27T23:00:00.002-06:00

Frank's deer stand is out of the picture to the right of the dam. You can see part of his oat patch in the background. When Dudley started hunting down there in 1980 he tried to stock some bass into the pond but never was able to catch them. The pond was not very big and was silted in and was subject to freezing in the winter and drying up in the summer. It has been enlarged many times over and dug out and it much deeper now. Once it is filled with water and stocked, Frank should have a great place to do some catch and release fishing with his fly rod and ultra light spinning gear.

Awesome Whitetail Buck Fight ...

2011-12-23T13:48:00.000-06:00

Proof Dudley Has Way Too Much Free Time ...

2011-12-21T17:04:00.002-06:00

Thanks Big Sis ...

2011-12-21T16:57:00.000-06:00

Review: Slide Fire Solutions SSAR-15 Bump Fire Stock ...

2011-12-15T15:22:00.000-06:00

Frank And Jeff Got Some More Pictures Of Bucks ...

2011-12-13T11:13:00.003-06:00

on their deer cams. Problem is the big bucks have become nocturnal like they do every year after the hunting season opens. Hard to get a scope on a big buck in East Texas unless you catch one out in the light of day early in the season or get lucky and catch one trailing a doe during the rut. Frank is going to go back and hunt Christmas. Maybe he will get lucky. The Friday after Thanksgiving, Frank and Jeff were hunting in Jeff's stand and saw a deer in the corner of the oat patch before daylight. They both looked at it with their binoculars but could not tell what it was, it was just too dark. The deer was near Jeff's game cam and disappeared into the woods before they could tell if it was a legal buck or a doe. Last weekend, Frank pulled the memory card out of Jeff's camera and he checked it when he got back home. The deer they had seen was captured on the camera at 6:05 AM and it was a nice, legal eight point buck! Damn so close yet that is the way hunting goes sometimes.

Dudley Did Something Constructive Today ...

2011-12-10T23:30:00.005-06:00

he installed a Medialink N wireless router to his home computer today. Dudley followed the step by step instructions and was pleasantly surprised to discover that the router worked perfectly as advertised. It took some creative thinking for Dudley to get the job done with his mobility limitations but where there is a will, there is a way. Now Dudley can connect his iPhone to the Internet without incurring any data charges from his wireless carrier. Frank will be able to use the wifi for his laptop and iPhone as well.

Duluth Trading Fire Hose® Jeans vs. Wild Boar ...

2011-12-03T16:59:00.000-06:00

Frank Tried Out The New Grill Last Night For The First Time ...

2011-12-02T21:43:00.002-06:00

He grilled six Bambi Burgers as Dudley's sister called them. Man were they good!

Frank Got His Bumper Feeder Working ...

2011-11-26T13:33:00.003-06:00

and is using it to spread corn on the power line right of ways and around the food plots down at the farm in East TX. The hunting guide we hunted with last weekend down in the Hill Country asked Frank if he had one and he told him no and he said he had one he was not using and he gave it to Frank. It holds one bag of corn. It has a cord you plug into the 12 volt lighter outlet and after you push a button, a motor turns the spinner and throws shelled corn out behind the truck as you slowly drive along. The cord was damaged but Dudley's father in law "Sparky" is a retired electrician. He had the parts and in about five minutes had the feeder working like new. Frank and Jeff are hunting today. Jeff is going to try to get a doe for the meat. Of course either will shoot a big buck if they see one.

Dudley Got Himself A New Present The Other Day ...

2011-11-23T13:59:00.006-06:00

an Apple Iphone 4s. Nothing like a smart phone to make the first time user feel like a real dumb ass. Dudley is starting to get the hang of it. Dudley is going to need to buy a wireless router for the home computer in the near future. Think this will be a great phone once I get it all figured out.

Frank Worked On Our New BBQ Grill Most Of The Day ...

2011-11-20T18:09:00.003-06:00

on Saturday. Dudley's father in law made a trade for it as our old grill was burned through in a couple of places and was ready for the scrap heap. The grill he traded for was custom built in a welding shop and is made of 1/4 inch steel. It was rusted on the exterior from sitting outside but was still in pretty good shape otherwise. Frank used a wire brush and got all of the rust removed from the outside of the grill as he could. He cleaned it and then applied three coats of flat black Krylon BBQ/Grill paint. The paint is supposed to be able to stand up to a continuous 600 degree heat and up to 1200 degrees for a short period. Frank installed the new temperature gauge and the only thing left to do is try to clean the grates inside the grill. Dudley may buy some new grates if the old ones don't clean up enough to suit him. Frank did a great job and we are going to have a pretty nice grill/smoker that should last many years. The best thing of all is we only have about fifty bucks invested in it not counting Frank's labor.

Dudley And Frank Went Hunting Last Weekend ...

2011-11-14T17:12:00.005-06:00

down in the Texas Hill Country. We know we are getting close to the Hill Country when we cross the Colorado River and drive over the Pecan Orchards below the long metal bridge. Just north of Comanche, we saw a whitetail doe running across an open field toward the highway, she jumped the fence followed by a big whitetail buck running right behind her. Dudley's truck was right upon her so she turned and jumped the fence and ran across the open pasture the way she had come followed by the buck. It was quite a sight and all the proof we needed that the Whitetail Rut was on! We stopped in Eckert and got some beef jerky at Rabkes then went and drove around the Willow City Loop. We went through Fredricksburg and on into Kerrville and checked into the YO Resort. We drove out to the ranch Saturday morning and met with our guide and hunted hard all day. We had seen a lot of whitetails and some exotics but had not yet seen a shooter buck. Right before dark, a big ten point buck came slowly down the hill from behind the stand. It got out in front of the stand about fifteen yards and was heading toward the feeder. Dudley motioned for Frank to put the rifle up and out the window and Dudley reached for his shooting stick. The buck either heard a sound or saw some movement and stopped, turned and ran back the way he had come. A short time later we saw a shooter eight point buck run out chasing a doe but he was a long way off and by then it was just about dark. Dudley did not feel comfortable taking a shot. The guide came and picked us up and said we could come back in the morning and hunt in that same stand and hopefully get another chance. Dudley had not slept well the night before and by that time was exhausted. Dudley decided to let Frank go back the next morning alone and try to get a buck and doe. Dudley slept in and woke up and checked his cell phone. He saw a text from Frank stating that he had shot a buck with a photo of the big ten point rack on the ground. Dudley called Frank and heard the story of the hunt and that he had also taken a doe. Frank was excited to say the least, he had just taken his best buck ever. The buck that Frank shot was the same buck from the night before. We went by the deer processor and picked up the meat from the doe hunt Frank went on earlier in the season. Dudley got to see Franks big buck hanging in the cooler. Frank is getting a shoulder mount of the ten point to hang in his room. What a great hunt in the Texas Hill Country!

A Few More Pictures From The Farm ...

2011-11-07T16:00:00.001-06:00

Frank Shot A Spike Buck This Morning ...

2011-11-06T09:11:00.003-06:00

he and Jeff are back at the inlaws house. Frank is field dressing the deer and then they will take it down to the processor. When they get back, they no doubt will go back to the farm and get in their deer stands and hunt until dark and try to hang a tag on one of the trophy bucks they have been getting photos of with their deer cams. Looks like we are going to be eating a lot of grilled bacon wrapped backstrap this year. It's a tough job but someone has got to do it!

Frank And Jeff Went Hunting This Morning ...

2011-11-05T11:15:00.003-05:00

down at the farm in East Texas. Today is opening day of the whitetail deer season. Frank reported that they hunted until ten this morning and did not see a single deer. After they got out of their stands, they went to the truck and went out and put out some corn and they then went and swapped out the memory cards in their deer cams. They also loaded up the BBQ grill and took it to Dudley's in laws house. They got on the computer to see if they got any good photos on their deer cams. They were quite excited to see that they both got a photo of a big 8 point buck. Now that is some motivation to go hunting and sit in the stand just a little bit longer!

Dudley Bought A Temperature Gauge The Other Day ...

2011-11-02T20:11:00.002-05:00

online. Dudley's old BBQ grill is about ready for the junk heap. It is burning through in a couple of places and the handles have disappeared. Frank found a good used custom built BBQ grill/smoker for sale recently when he went to East Texas to work on his deer stand and to plant a cover crop for the deer. Dudley's father in law went and acquired the grill in a trade. Frank and Jeff are going to go deer hunting this weekend and are going to get some wire brushes and remove any surface rust. He and Jeff are then going to repaint the outside of the grill and firebox and install a new temperature gauge. Hopefully they will be able to finish the work in time for the paint to dry so they can bring it back to the Dudley domicile. Dudley will be going hunting soon down in the Hill Country and will be bringing back three processed whitetail does. Dudley will be getting an additional buck and doe processed after his hunt so we will have plenty of deer meat in the freezer. We will be able to put the new BBQ grill/smoker to good use.

Frank And Lizzie Just Left To Go To Game 4 ...

2011-10-23T14:27:00.003-05:00

of the World Series. The Rangers got blown out in game 3. The Rangers need to win tonight to even the series at two games each. This is the view they will have from the third deck on the first base side. Should be a great game. Go Rangers!

Go Rangers !!!

2011-10-19T10:00:00.001-05:00

The Texas Rangers Beat The Detroit Tigers ...

2011-10-16T23:11:00.003-05:00

last night in game 6 of the ALCS. Way to go Rangers, two years in a row. The Cardinals just beat the Brewers. It is going to be a great World Series. When Dudley was a small child, the Cardinals were his favorite baseball team. When Dudley was 8 or 9 years old he went to his first ever MLB game and saw the Cardinals play the Astros down in the Astrodome. That would have been in 1967 or 1968. Wish I could remember who won the game. Dudley was able to purchase two tickets to game four of the WS at the Ballpark in Arlington. Frank and Lizzie are going to go and Dudley is going to watch the game on TV. Go Rangers, we are going to win it this year!

Frank Made It Down To The Texas Hill Country ...

2011-10-15T07:40:00.003-05:00

a little before noon. He met up with the guides and went to the range to check the zero on his rifle. He put his stuff in the little cabin in above photo and was dropped off at a hunting blind around 345 PM. Around 5:30 PM three whitetail does and two fawns came out and started feeding at the feeder you can see in the second photo above. He shot the largest of the mature does. He said he hit her through the heart and she ran about 40 yards and piled up. He went and checked her out and then dragged her back behind his stand and put her under a tree in the shade. He then hunted till dark hoping to get a second doe. The only other deer he saw was a Sika buck. He said his doe field dressed at almost 70 pounds. That is good sized for a Hill Country deer. He is going hunting again this morning. Hopefully he will get another doe or two today or possibly a spike buck. He was the only hunter to kill a doe yesterday evening. One of the other hunters killed a wild hog. If he sees one, he can kill one of those also.

Frank And Dudley Went To The Shooting Range ...

2011-10-14T05:42:00.006-05:00

the other day to sight in Frank's new Kimber Montana and Leupold scope. Frank is loading his truck as I type this getting ready to drive down to the TX Hill Country to go on a three day whitetail doe/hog hunt. Good Luck Ol Buster and shoot straight, I can almost taste those bacon wrapped tenderloins on the grill!

Texas Rangers 2011 Postseason Anthem ...

2011-10-13T11:43:00.000-05:00

Hank Williams Jr. " Keep The Change" ...

2011-10-12T13:49:00.000-05:00

Dudley Is Looking Forward To Watching The ...

2011-10-08T16:33:00.005-05:00

first game of the ALCS in a few hours. The Detroit Tigers are in town to play the Texas Rangers.

Dudley's sister has her Detroit Tigers Voo Doo doll ready for the series. Go Rangers!

Got It From Texas Fred ...

2011-10-07T17:39:00.001-05:00

Frank Is Getting Ready To Go On A Deer Hunt ..

2011-10-05T15:42:00.004-05:00

down in the Texas Hill Country. He has his new scope mounted to his new rifle now. He went to Cabelas the other day and bought a box of Federal Premium .308 caliber ammo with 150 grain Barnes Triple Shock TSX bullets. He also bought a Gerber EZ-Saw to make cutting through the pelvic and breast bone easier and to save wear and tear on his knife. Frank went to Academy and bought two Uncle Mikes QD (quick detach) sling swivels for his rifle that came with the studs from the factory but not the swivels for putting a sling on the rifle. Dudley had a new old stock Torel Gunslinger sling that Frank put on the rifle yesterday. Now all Frank needs to do is go to the shooting range one afternoon and sight in the new rifle and scope.

This Was Frank's View At The Ball Park Saturday ...

2011-10-03T14:11:00.006-05:00

for game two of the ALDS between the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays. The other pics are of the Tampa Bay Voo Doo doll Dudley's sister made after the Rays shut out the Rangers in the first game. It was an exciting game with the Rangers winning to even the series at one. Way to go Big Sis, the Voo Doo worked! The Rangers are playing again today and with the momentum on their side hopefully will go up to a two game to one lead. Colby Lewis is pitching today, hopefully he will have a good game. Tickets to the public for the World Series went on sale Sunday morning. Dudley was able to buy two tickets on the first base side up in the upper deck for game four. Dudley is going to give the tickets to Frank and Lizzie to go as Dudley would rather sit this one out and watch it on TV. Go Rangers!

Frank Is Getting Ready For His Deer Hunting Trip ...

2011-09-19T16:22:00.003-05:00

next month down in the Texas Hill Country. He is going to hopefully bag up to three whitetail does and possibly a wild hog as well. This is going to be a stand hunt and the hunters are responsible for their own field dressing. They have a cleaning area so Frank will be able to hang his deer up for field dressing and a walk in cooler for hanging the deer prior to going to the processor. He bought a new Schrade 152 Old Timer knife to use and a soft Arkansas Stone and some honing oil. Should be more than enough to do the job. Dudley can almost taste the bacon wrapped back straps on the grill!

Frank Bought Five New Tires For His Truck ...

2011-09-16T11:44:00.003-05:00

a few days ago. He got some new BF Goodrich Mud Terrain T/A tires in 285x70x17 size. They are a full 33 inches in diameter and look great on his truck with the aggressive tread pattern and white letters. He has a pretty cool truck with his Rancho Quick Lift and Rancho Shocks and his Ranch-Hand custom front and rear bumpers and grill guard. Add the Off Road tires and he has one tough truck. The best thing is his truck is now fully paid off. He took out a five year loan when he purchased it in 2007 and he paid it off last week almost a year early. I have an idea he won't miss making those monthly truck payments!

Dudley Bought Two Tickets To The ...

2011-09-15T04:43:00.002-05:00

Rangers second home game of the American League Division Series Playoffs yesterday. The Rangers have a three game lead in the AL West currently. The Rangers had a lottery to get a chance to purchase tickets. Frank and Dudley both signed up. Frank did not get drawn but Dudley did! The tickets were going fast Dudley logged on the website to buy tickets yesterday morning and got placed in the virtual waiting room. Dudley turned the volume up on the speakers and almost two hours later the alarm went off and Dudley got up and clicked on the pop up screen and got in and started searching for available tickets. Dudley's first several choices were not available and he ended up getting two tickets up on the third level behind home plate. The photo above shows the view of the field. Dudley decided not to go to this game, he will stay home and watch it on TV. Will let Frank take his girlfriend to the game if she can go or he can go with one of his other friends. Also bought a parking pass to the game. Hopefully the Rangers will win their division. If the Rangers can go all the way to the World Series again this year, Dudley will do his best to go to another World Series game, but that remains to be seen. Go Rangers!

Frank Had A Big Day Yesterday ...

2011-09-10T21:06:00.003-05:00

he recently was hired as a salesman for New York Life Insurance Company. He has been studying to take a test to get his license with the state. He drove up to the town where he was to take the test in the DFW area, and decided to go eat lunch before he went to the testing center. He saw a McDonalds and pulled into the parking lot and noticed a late model Toyota Tundra lifted and sitting on 37 inch diameter tires. The truck had just pulled into the parking lot ahead of Frank and while he was drooling over the nice truck, he saw the driver was getting out and walking into the McDonalds. Frank was astounded to recognize it was Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers and the 2010 AL MVP! Frank rolled down his window and shouted hey Josh who waved at Frank as he was getting out of his truck. Frank went inside and went up to the counter and placed his order. He turned and introduced himself to Josh and they talked while they were waiting on their orders. Frank said they talked about deer hunting, trucks and baseball and Josh told him he was grabbing a bite to eat and then going to be with his wife who was going to give birth to their fourth child later that day. Frank congratulated him on the pending birth of his fourth daughter as he got his food and went and sat down to eat. Frank got his food and ate and as Josh was leaving he asked him if he would not mind signing his daily planner. Josh told him sure and gave him an autograph and they parted ways. Frank went and passed his test with flying colors after meeting the AL MVP, what an exciting day.

Lizzie Went To A Minor League Baseball Game Yesterday ...

2011-09-05T10:05:00.003-05:00

with some friends. The Frisco Rough Riders notched their fifth win in a row Sunday night with a 4-3 victory over the Midland Rock Hounds.

Frank And His Boss Went To The TCU Game ...

2011-09-04T08:43:00.002-05:00

Friday night. The traffic down I-35 to Waco was terrible. They got to their seats around the start of the second quarter. The Frogs were getting beat pretty badly and TCU battled back late in the game taking the lead. It could have been a great win but the defense could not hold the lead and Baylor ended up with the win. Too many of the great players from the past few years graduated last year and TCU has a much weaker team. TCU has a great coach, it will be interesting to see what he can get out of the players he has now. Go Frogs!

Kerrie Roberts Keep Breathing ...

2011-09-03T21:20:00.000-05:00

Ted Nugent At Billy Bobs 8-27-11 ...

2011-08-29T11:34:00.000-05:00

Ted Nugent At Billy Bobs 8-27-11 ...

2011-08-29T11:33:00.000-05:00

Frank And Dudley Went To The Ranger Game Last Night ...

2011-08-27T15:18:00.003-05:00

and watched the Rangers beat the Angels 11 to 7. We got to see Derek Holland pitch a fantastic game and the highlight of the night was David Murphy's Grand Slam. We sat in the Upper Home Run Porch in the all you can eat section. The only bad thing was the heat. It did not get below 100 degrees until well after dark. Dudley will not be going to any more games during the hottest part of the summer unless he can get tickets to an air conditioned suite. Glad we went at any rate. Frank was just saying the other day after the Yankees hit a record 3 Grand Slams in one game that he had never seen a Grand Slam at a major league game. He has seen one now. Dudley is going to stay at home tonight and watch the Cowboys and the Rangers on television in the AC. Will be doing a lot of switching back and forth. Frank and Jeff are going to see Ted Nugent tonight in concert at Billy Bobs. Frank is a fan of Texas Country music mostly but he will be going to his first rock concert tonight. Can't wait to hear about his experience later tonight when he gets back home.

Dudley's New Boat Shelf Finally Got Here ...

2011-08-17T15:06:00.004-05:00

and it looks great! Dudley put his fly reel collection in it today. Dudley is well pleased with the boat shelf and it is a great way to display the fly reels.

MikesChair - Someone Worth Dying For ...

2011-08-17T10:08:00.000-05:00

Stevie Nicks - Edge Of 17 Dallas 2011

2011-08-14T20:46:00.000-05:00

Dudley Can Scratch Another Item Off His Bucket List ...

2011-08-14T20:19:00.008-05:00

after going to hear and see Stevie Nicks Friday night. She put on a great show and it is hard to believe she can still rock at 63 years of age! Even harder to believe I have a crush on a 63 year old woman. She did a lot of her new songs and less of the old classics. Dudley did get to hear some of his all time favorites like Edge of Seventeen and Landslide. Also Rhianon and Gold Dust Woman and Stand Back. Stevie is a class act and Dudley got his moneys worth at this concert. She has a fantastic band backing her up with three guitar players, a piano player, keyboard player, drummer and percussion drum player as well and two female backup singers. Frank had to push Dudley up a steep ramp in his manual wheelchair but it wasn't that difficult for a 22 year old that pushes a lawnmower around all day in the Texas heat. Frank said this was not really his kind of music but he was impressed with the quality of the band especially Waddy Wachtel and his hard driving electric guitar. In two weeks, Frank and Jeff are going to see Ted Nugent so this was a good warm up. Dudley has now seen and heard both Linda Ronstadt (back in my college days) and Stevie Nicks. It was nice to go back in time thirty or more years for one night and listen to a legend sing her heart out!

Frank Got Some New Pics On His Deer Cam ...

2011-07-31T19:44:00.001-05:00

Long Gone Live Immediate Blues Band Glen Rose TX ...

2011-07-22T13:08:00.000-05:00

Casey Anthony Dunking Booth, This Guy Can't Throw Worth A ...

2011-07-19T12:11:00.000-05:00

Saw This On A Fishing Forum ...

2011-07-18T14:54:00.001-05:00

Frank Went To East Texas This Weekend ...

2011-07-17T10:59:00.003-05:00

and went down to the farm. Friday evening he put some fresh batteries in his deercam and a new SD card. He went back and checked the cam on Saturday and discovered he had several photos of a nice young whitetail buck in velvet. He was pretty excited to see the pics. He went to the feed store and bought a mineral block and a sack of corn to put on the ground in front of the camera. He went by the farm this morning to check the camera one more time and said he got some photos of a doe last night. In October, Frank will be going on an early doe hunt down in the hill country to get some meat for the freezer. Then he can hunt during the regular rifle season trying to put his tag on a legal buck down at the farm.

Mark Cuban Is Not Letting That Trophy Get Out Of His Sight ...

2011-07-16T10:24:00.002-05:00

Some Strange Items Being Sold On eBay These Days ...

2011-07-15T13:59:00.002-05:00

Easiest Way To Recognize A Liberal When You See One ...

2011-07-07T23:29:00.001-05:00

Phoenix Dust Storm 7/5/2011 ...

2011-07-06T22:49:00.000-05:00

Dudley Booked A Hunt Today ...

2011-07-06T18:13:00.005-05:00

down in the Hill Country of Texas. Dudley is sending Frank down in his place to get some venison for the freezer. Frank did not get a deer last year and we are not going to go another year without any deer meat. Frank is going on a two day hunt on the West Kerr Ranch. It is an eleven thousand acre ranch located in western Kerr County near Mountain Home, Texas. It was once part of the famed Y.O. Ranch. Frank is going to have the opportunity to take three whitetail does and as a bonus one wild hog. Hopefully he will get a good eatin size hog of less than 100 lbs. He will be staying in a bunk house/cabin. They have a large outdoor BBQ grille where he can cook outside if the weather is good. They have facilities for hanging and field dressing game and a large walk in cooler on site. Frank should have a great hunt and be able to break in his new Kimber Montana and Leupold scope and stock up the deep freezer!

Cool Fish Sculptures Made From Costa Del Mar Sunglasses ...

2011-07-03T12:41:00.003-05:00

Got This Picture Today Of Frank And Jeff ...

2011-06-29T13:59:00.004-05:00

posing with a portion of their two night catch from the Landcut. He said they had a total of 7 guys fishing one night and 9 the other. Good thing the cabin has a large T shaped dock out front to give that many fisherman room. Each person can keep ten trout per day between 15 and 25 inches in length. You can keep one trout per day over 25 inches in length if you are lucky enough to catch one. Frank said the biggest this year was around 22 inches. He said the average size was up and they were able to keep more fish with fewer throw back under limit fish. They had a great tme and Frank said he is bringing a bunch of fillets home so get ready for some grilled trout. Dudley can't wait!

Dudley Scored Two Tickets Today To See Stevie Nicks ...

2011-06-27T14:29:00.005-05:00

in concert. He can't wait as it is going to be a great show. Dudley has been a big fan for a long time. Can't believe he has a crush on a 63 year old woman but what the heck, she is awesome! Following is a list of the songs she should be performing ...

1. Stand Back
2. Annabel Lee
3. Dreams
4. Sorcerer
5. Moonlight (A Vampire's Dream)
6. Gold Dust Woman
7. Ghosts are Gone
8. Soldier's Angel
9. In Your Dreams
10. Rhiannon
11. For What Its Worth
12. Secret Love
13. Fall From Grace
14. Cheaper than Free
15. Edge of Seventeen
16. Love Is

Talked To Frank Last Night ...

2011-06-25T11:03:00.003-05:00

he said they fished all day at different rigs up to 20 miles offshore from Port Aransas and only caught one Kingfish. They are going to go out and try it again today. Hopefully they will have better luck the second time out!

Frank And Jeff Left Yesterday Afternoon After Work ...

2011-06-24T11:58:00.002-05:00

going to the Texas Gulf Coast for a week of fishing the saltwater. It is killing Dudley that he can not go but hopefully they will take lots of pictures. Today they are going to go on a free fishing trip offshore in a thirty something foot center console boat. They are going out with one of Jeff's cousins and his father. They are hoping to catch some Kingfish and if they are lucky maybe some Cobia (Ling) or if really lucky a Dorado or Sailfish. Don't know if they are just going to go out and fish some of the nearshore rigs or if they are planning on going farther offshore. They will have a great time at any rate. It is a real treat to get to go fishing offshore. They took the kayaks and are going to go here one or two days to try and catch some Redfish and Speckled Trout. At some point during the week, they are going to load up the power boats and go across Baffin Bay and go south down the Landcut many miles to Jeff's Grandfathers remote fishing cabin. They will fish all night under the generator powered lights off of the large dock in front of the cabin. Frank no doubt will be fishing mostly off the back of one of the boats with his fly rod. He will be competing with Jeff for the most fish caught on a fly rod and reel as Dudley gave him a fly rod and reel of his own last year. Hopefully the trout will be bigger this year. The last couple of years they have had to throw back ten undersized trout for each keeper. At any rate, Dudley hopes they have a safe trip, catch a bunch of fish and bring back some for the grill and that Frank takes lots of pictures!

Wild Hogs Are Out Of Control In Parts Of Texas ...

2011-06-22T15:35:00.000-05:00

Frank Went Fishing Yesterday Evening ...

2011-06-17T10:58:00.004-05:00

down on the creek that runs near the Dudley domicile. He caught two nice bass and sunfish on his 4 weight fly rod. He said the largest bass in the photo above gave him a good fight jumping out of the water a couple of times. Jeff caught the nice catfish a few days ago at the same place. It has been hot here this week, today the high temperature is forecast to hit 104 degrees. Dudley would prefer to be walking up and down the creek bank fishing but since that is not possible, will have to be content with sitting inside in the air conditioning.

Dudley Bought A Boat Shelf Off eBay Today ...

2011-06-15T15:10:00.003-05:00

and got a pretty good deal. The total cost with shipping was less than 175 dollars. It is four feet tall and is constructed of red oak. Dudley is going to put it in front of his gas fireplace and put his vintage fly reel collection in it with a few of his hunting collectibles as well. Dudleys wife picked the color, brick red and it should look great inside the Dudley domicile. Dudley has been wanting one of these for a long time. The craftsman that is making it is 6 to 8 weeks behind so the shelf should get here in two or three months.

"Sweet Vindication" Dallas Mavericks World Champions 2011 ...

2011-06-13T11:07:00.003-05:00

The Time Is Now ...

2011-06-12T18:56:00.001-05:00

having a Mavericks watching party at the Dudley domicile. Frank is cooking steaks on the grill. Hope the Mavericks can close it out tonight and win the championship. Go Mavs!

The Ultimate Opportunity ...

2011-06-11T10:56:00.000-05:00

The Blazers, Lakers,And The Thunder Long Gone ...

2011-06-10T18:56:00.000-05:00

Saw This On A Milk Carton, Go Mavs !!!

2011-06-10T15:04:00.000-05:00

Frank And Jeff Are Going Back To The Texas Coast ...

2011-06-07T15:36:00.003-05:00

in about three weeks. They are going to take their kayaks down and do some fishing in the bay and they are going to take the power boat down on an overnight trip at the legendary landcut. Jeff's grandfather owns a remote fishing cabin down there. Dudley bought some more shrimp and crab flies and a saltwater popper for Frank and Jeff to use down there at night fishing under the generator powered lights. They have had good luck in the past fishing the topwater popper on a fly rod with a dropper shrimp or crab fly tied to the hook on a short leader. Hopefully they will catch a bunch of speckled trout and if they are real lucky a redfish.

Frank Put Dudley's New Pole And Bird Feeders Up ...

2011-06-04T15:38:00.002-05:00

yesterday afternoon. He got off work early and went to Tractor Supply and bought some bird seed for the Finch feeder for Dudley. He did a good job installing the pole and the squirrel baffle and the two feeders. Dudley had him put the pole halfway between the tree and the house. It has been out there about 24 hours and so far the squirrels have been unable to figure out a way to get to the feeders. They can be pretty good at figuring out a way to get to a bird feeder. Am seeing quite a few birds at the feeders so far. Dudley was able to find a feeder pole that was made in the USA. It cost a little more than one made in China or somewhere else but Dudley gladly paid a little more for a quality USA made product. Wish more people would do the same.

Go Mavs!!! Bring It Back To Dallas ...

2011-06-03T14:16:00.000-05:00

Dudley Got Two New Bird Feeders This Week ...

2011-06-02T20:52:00.002-05:00

from a guy that works with Dudley's sister. He makes them in his wood shop on the weekends and after work. They are made out of cedar and look great. Dudley got a metal pole today that he bought off of eBay. Saturday Dudley is going to get Frank to put the pole up and fill and hang the feeders up. Hopefully the birds will enjoy the free food and give Dudley hours of enjoyment watching them in the back yard. A big tree fell over in a windstorm and destroyed the last pole and feeder Dudley put out. Hopefully that will not happen this time around.

Team Hot Wheels - The Yellow Driver's World Record Jump

2011-05-29T22:37:00.000-05:00

The World Did Not End Today After All ...

2011-05-21T19:13:00.003-05:00

One More Photo From The Fishing Trip ...

2011-05-16T18:06:00.004-05:00

from Saturday. They kept a bunch of bass less than sixteen inches to help with the lake management program. They ended up with a pretty good stringer of fish. On the way out, they stopped at the ranch house and talked to the man that owns the lake and told them how they did. Frank offered him some of the fish and he took enough for his dinner. Frank brought the rest home and stayed up late and cleaned them with an electric knife. He gave half of the fillets to Jeff yesterday and is going to come home today after work and fire up the grille and cook some for dinner. Dudley can't wait as he has not eaten a bass in over thirty five years.

Immediate Blues Band ...

2011-05-15T00:52:00.000-05:00

Frank And Jeff Went Fishing This Afternoon ...

2011-05-14T21:43:00.006-05:00

down on a private 30 acre lake near Stephenville, TX. They had a great time and caught between twenty and thirty Largemouth Bass. They caught several bass over sixteen inches in length that were released and quite a few under that length that they were able to put in the cooler and bring home. It was a beautiful day to be outside fishing. The high today was only about 75 degrees. A cold front blew in a few days ago and the weather cooled off quite a bit. It probably slowed down the fishing as well but you have to take the weather as it comes. Some of Dudley's greatest fishing memories are of past fishing trips years ago on a few private lakes with his dad. Am glad Frank was able to make some memories of his own today. He did not catch a ten pounder but that's OK. He gave it his best shot and that is what really matters.

Foxy Went To The Vet Yesterday ...

2011-05-13T13:21:00.003-05:00

and got her vaccinations and a bath and haircut and treatment for fleas and ticks. Hopefully she will feel better with the shorter hair with the hot summer weather that we are experiencing already. Tomorrow however is going to get up into the mid 70's for a high if you can believe the weatherman. Should be great weather for Frank and Jeff's fishing trip tomorrow afternoon on a private 30 acre lake. Dudley had planned on going with Frank but his back has been bothering him a lot recently and is going to stay home and watch the Ranger game instead. I hope they catch a bunch of Bass. The lake is supposed to have fish up to ten pounds. It is managed and any fish they catch less than sixteen inches in length are kept to keep the lake from being overpopulated with bass. I hope they catch a bunch of keepers so Dudley can eat some Bass fillets. Hope they also catch some trophy bass of five, six, seven, eight, nine or ten pounds!

Chevy Deer Camp ...

2011-05-10T21:11:00.000-05:00

Dudley Called Today And Made An Appointment ...

2011-05-10T16:26:00.002-05:00

at the groomer/vet for Foxy. She needs too get a shampoo and a haircut and get treated for fleas. The vet is going to update her shots and check her out. She is getting older and have noticed she does not seem her usual self. She does not appear to be in any pain but does not seem very energetic unless it is time to eat. It may just be the warmer weather. Hopefully she will get a good report at the Vet on Thursday and with the grooming and shorter hairdo, will feel better and have more energy.

Frank And I Saw The Mother's Day Massacre ...

2011-05-09T17:16:00.002-05:00

yesterday at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. That is what some are calling the Mavericks sweep of the Lakers with a score of 122 to 86. It was an exciting game if you are a Mavericks fan. We had to sit in the nosebleed seats because that was all Dudley could afford. Two tickets up in the rafters still cost about 300 dollars when you add in the handling fees and cost of overnight shipping. We went early and parked in the disabled parking lot. Parking cost 15 dollars which was reasonable. We scored a parking place on the front row right across the street from the AAC. Frank pushed Dudley as close as possible to our seats in his manual wheelchair. With Frank's help, Dudley was able to climb the steps up to our seats. We had two seats on the end of the row which helped. It was Franks first time to go to an NBA game and Dudley's second. Dudley sent his wife and daughter to a Mavericks playoff game four or five years ago so it was our turn to go. Sure would be great to see the Mavericks win the NBA Championship.

Makes You Wish You Had An Aquarium, Got It From Marian ...

2011-05-09T17:14:00.001-05:00

Dudley Got An Osama Squeaky Dog Toy ...

2011-05-07T10:31:00.004-05:00

in the mail yesterday. He gave it to his sister to give to her Yorkie to chew on. Dudley's dog will not chew on a chew toy for some reason. Give her the bone from a steak and that is another story. The Mavericks beat the Lakers last night to go up 3 games in a best of 7 series. Go Mavericks, let's get the SWEEP.

Something Is Wrong Here, Not Sure What It Is ...

2011-05-06T23:16:00.002-05:00

This Is The View Dudley And Frank ...

2011-05-05T09:00:00.003-05:00

are going to have for game 4 when the Lakers play the Mavericks in Dallas at the American Airlines Center. We are going to be on the third level and hopefully Dudley will be able to make it to our seats. Was unable to get a wheel chair seat, they were sold out. Should only have to go up three rows from the tunnel. Should be able to make it with Franks help. Frank is going to push me in my wheelchair from the parking lot up as close as he can to our seats, We are going to go early so Dudley can try to get seated before it gets too crowded. Dudley sent his wife and daughter to a Mavericks playoff game a few years ago. Frank has never been to a Mavericks game before. If the Mavericks win game 3 on Friday, we could possibly see them sweep the Lakers in four games!

Dudley Bought Some New Hot Sauce Yesterday ...

2011-05-03T11:14:00.001-05:00

Finally It's Payback Time For 9-11 ...

2011-05-01T22:34:00.005-05:00

Frank Got His Rancho Quick Lift And RS9000XL ...

2011-04-29T16:13:00.008-05:00

adjustable shocks installed today. Jeff met him early this morning at the 4wd store and he and Frank went to work in Jeff's truck. Jeff is working with Frank at the lawn service now so they share a ride most days anyway. Frank got off work early around 3:00 PM today and Jeff took him over to pick up his truck. Frank then came by the house and took Dudley for a ride. The front of his truck sits up about two inches higher than before and is now more level with the rear of his truck. Frank jumped a curb and we went off road down a power line right of way that runs near the Dudley domicile. Rancho makes quality suspension systems. Dudley has Rancho shocks and a Rancho steering stabilizer on our Jeep CJ-5. Dudley told Frank he needs to put a Rancho steering stabilizer on his truck as well. Hopefully he will do that one of these days. Dudley was only a couple of years older than Frank back in 1983 when he bought his Jeep. Dudley has had more fun through the years with that Jeep than the law should allow. Dudley can't drive the Jeep any longer but at least he has a lot of great memories.

It Is Tornado Season Again, Do You Know Where Your Children Are ...

2011-04-25T16:51:00.001-05:00

Frank And Dudley Got Up This Morning And Went ...

2011-04-16T16:05:00.005-05:00

to the 4 Wheel Parts Store to get a price on installing a pair of Rancho Quick-Lift Suspensions for the front of Franks truck and a set of Rancho RS 9000 XL adjustable shocks for the rear. They quoted a price that was too high and after some negotiating, Dudley got them to come down off of their initial price about $225.00. Frank told them to order the parts and he is looking forward to getting this done. It will raise the front end of his truck and level it out and will improve the ride over the stock Chevy suspension. Frank is amazed that Dudley can get someone to come down off their asking price. I told him everything is negotiable and that he better be taking notes as I would not always be around to help him out. Dudley made a living for many years negotiating Insurance Claim settlements with hard headed lawyers. Dudley can be pretty hard headed as well. You have to be to survive fifteen years in that business.

The Blue Angels Are In Town ...

2011-04-15T18:40:00.002-05:00

they buzzed the Dudley domicile all day yesterday. Dudley and Lizzie got out yesterday to the Post Office and went to Chick Filet to eat lunch. On the way, we were treated to a free air show. We saw the Blue Angels pass overhead in formation and then break apart and roll out. It was pretty spectacular. It was too windy today with wind gusts up to 50 mph so I doubt they flew much if at all today. The forecast for tomorrow looks much better with winds in the 12 mph range. Dudley may just go to a spot he knows up on a hill tomorrow afternoon and watch some of the show. Last time Dudley took the family out to the base to watch it took several hours to get off the base and make it back home. Not going to get stuck in that traffic jam again.

Frank Bought A New Scope Today For His New Deer Rifle ...

2011-04-14T11:43:00.003-05:00

off of Gunbroker.com. It is a Leupold VX3l 3.5 x 10 x 50 mm scope with CDS. CDS stands for custom dial system which is a bullet drop compensator. When he gets the scope, it will have a card in the box he can fill out and send in to Leupold. They will send him a dial calibrated to the bullets he will be shooting out of his new Kimber Montana deer rifle. He is planning on shooting Federal Premium in .308 caliber with Barnes Triple Shock TSX 150 grain bullets. The .308 is a versatile round and Frank will be able to hunt deer and hogs with this gun and could even take it Elk hunting with the larger grain bullets. Frank is going to have a very nice rifle and he should be able to shoot a 3/4 of an inch three shot group at 100 yards or close to it. We are looking forward to getting the scope mounted on the gun and the first trip to the range.

Frank Bought A New Deer Rifle Today ...

2011-04-13T15:31:00.003-05:00

off of Gunbroker. It is a Kimber 84 Montana in .308 caliber. It is a sweet looking gun and is finished in stainless steel with a Kevlar carbon fiber synthetic stock. It should prove to be an accurate rifle and it only weighs five pounds four ounces. He is going to be getting a new Leupold scope to put on his new rifle. He is also going to buy a new Boyt case to carry his rifle in his truck and the field. I see a lot of great hunts with this gun in Frank's future and the best thing about it is he won't be borrowing Dudley's gun any longer :)

Frank And Dudley Went To The Truck Store ...

2011-04-12T17:52:00.003-05:00

today to get Frank's new Ranch-Hand Summit front replacement bumper and brush guard installed. It matches the rear Ranch-Hand Summit bumper he had installed last November. Now he has a matched set. Looks pretty cool with his blacked out grille. Now if only we could come to an agreement on who makes and who drives the best truck. Dodge or Chevy, Chevy or Dodge. We may never agree but thats OK because not agreeing is a lot more fun.

Frank Had A Busy Weekend And Did Not Go Fishing ...

2011-04-11T12:09:00.005-05:00

for a change. Saturday he mowed the yard and then used a chainsaw to cut up a big tree limb that fell in the back yard Friday night. It knocked down the phone line that runs from the utility pole behind the back fence to the side of the house. We don't have residential phone service, use cell phones. I called the phone company anyway and they are going to send a guy out tomorrow to repair it. Yesterday Frank took the front grille off of his truck and took the Chevy "Bowtie" off. He then used sandpaper and sanded all of the chrome off of the front of the grille. He then sprayed the grill with primer and then two coats of gloss black paint. He put the Chevy emblem back on and then reinstalled the grille back on his truck. He had a new heavy duty rear bumper put on his truck a while back after his truck got rear ended on the Interstate. Tomorrow we are going to go and he is going to purchase the matching front replacement bumper and brush guard and get it installed on his truck with some fog lights. After he gets that done he is going to install a Rancho Quicklift to raise and level the front of his truck and also have a new pair of Rancho heavy duty shocks put on the rear. When he gets the new bumper and lights installed, will put some photos on Dudley's Diary.

Voted The Best Don't Mess With Texas Commercial From The Last 25 Years ...

2011-04-10T20:01:00.000-05:00

Going To Eat Some More Crappie Tonight ...

2011-04-09T11:53:00.001-05:00

It's Official Now, Dudley Is An Old Geezer ...

2011-04-08T17:07:00.007-05:00

he went to Arlington today to have his new Jason Pace Cab Hi Camper Shell installed on his truck. Dudley also had a Class III receiver hitch and a pair of original Ventvisors installed. Dudley is glad they agreed to put the hitch cover on for him. The guy had to grind on the thing for a good half hour to get it to fit. It is on there now and looks good. Dudley should have bought a camper before now. It will be great for going on trips and putting everything in the bed of the truck and now I won't have to worry about anything getting wet. If I need to haul something that won't fit in under the camper, I will just borrow Frank's truck.

Real Men Fish For Sharks ...

2011-04-05T19:56:00.001-05:00