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Don't Try This At Home

Can You Hear Me Now?

By Bob on October 6, 2011 6:00 AM

Can You Hear Me Now.jpg

Ok, it's a well-documented fact that I like hunting. There, I said it. I enjoy the opportunity to get outdoors with my friends and do guy stuff with a loaded shotgun in my hands. I'm not anyone's idea of Ted Nugent (like his music; some of his politics and all of his 70's hair) but I do enjoy dove hunting, quail hunting and the occasional feral hog excursion.

 

That doesn't mean I'm any good at it.  I suck most of the time. That doesn't stop me because I hunt 21st Century style, with all the modern conveniences of food, shelter, central air and heat and most of all CELLPHONE COVERAGE.

 

I know what you're thinking Boomers.  You're saying to yourselves, "Bob, WTF?  I thought going hunting was just an excuse to get away from modern conveniences like email, Facebook, ESPN.com and CELLPHONES." To this I would have to answer, "Internets, have we met?".

 

 

 


It's a picture right out of Field & Stream.  A group of grown men in camo illuminated by the roaring pecan wood fire and the blue-gray GLOW OF CELLPHONES.


It doesn't make sense to get all Unabomber crazy just because you're escaping the confines of Dallas for a three-day weekend. Even the good folks in Hico need their cellphone service.  I'll gladly assist them by allowing the placement of a cellphone tower on our ranch just outside of Cranfills Gap -- so long as they'll let me put a DEER STAND on it. 

 

I haven't had any takers on that offer. Luckily, I haven't needed any. I've got great cellphone coverage down at The Gap. This of course has its pluses and minuses. Take our last hunt for example.

 

After an afternoon of hunting our group enjoys eating some barbecue and banana blueberry pie from the Koffee Kup while kicking back around the fire pit. We do some serious male bonding by solving the world's problems and looking up at the majestic star canopy that's only visible when you're 120 miles outside of Dallas.    

 


And by "magic" I mean Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir were spinning in their graves.


 

It's a picture right out of Field & Stream. A group of grown men in camo illuminated by the roaring pecan wood fire and the blue-gray GLOW OF CELLPHONES.

 

I blame myself. 

 

A couple of years ago we switched from T-Mobile (aka, Can you hear me never) to Verizon.  Turns out that they do at least live up to their advertising. Cell phone coverage in the Hico/Cranfills Gap area is pretty good. This of course meant that I was lured by the siren song of superior cellphone coverage and took full advantage of it during one of our hunts.  The guys noticed.

 

I don't know if they've switched to Verizon, or if their carriers snapped to the idea that a few deer stands on cell towers wasn't too much to ask for improved coverage. Whatever the reason, now they have cellphone service, too.

 

That's how I found myself sitting around the camp fire with a group of Boomer guys dressed in camo, talking, drinking beer, watching YouTube videos and checking the latest college football scores. It was a magic moment. And by "magic" I mean Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir were spinning in their graves.

 

Hey, who am I to complain? I never travel without my iPod, cellphone, computer and GPS. If these conveniences mean that my hunting pals can get away from the urban stress of Dallas/Fort Worth for even a brief period of time it's worth all the non-traditional aspects.

 

I'm guessing that in the future you'll see a lot of cellular towers in far-flung places like Glen Rose, Fairy, Duffau and Iredell. Most of them will be painted camo and have big ol' deer stands on top.

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Diabetes-Friendly Chicken Burrito Bowl

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By Laura Cipullo and Lisa Mikus, authors of Everyday Diabetes Meals
Image credit: Colin Erricson

Prepare your own Mexican quick fix with this Chipotle-inspired bowl. Carbs are moderated by filling the bowl with beans, extra veggies and chicken. No need for rice, since the beans count as carbs.

Tips:

If you love tomatoes, increase the quantity to 1/2 cup, but note that the carbohydrates will also increase.

If preparing this recipe for one person, cut all of the ingredients in half. Or simply prepare the full recipe up to the end of step 2 and store leftover chicken and vegetable-bean mixture in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave on High for 1 to 2 minutes, or until heated through, and continue with step 3.

Health Bite: The iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper and zinc in black beans help to keep bones strong and healthy.

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Windy City

It's been almost 18 years since Alison Krauss gave us a solo album, but the wait is over with Windy City. The release (her fifth solo studio album) features ten covers of classic songs (and some bonus tracks) she picked with producer Buddy Cannon.

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