HORACE MCQUEEN: Random Thoughts – For Hot, Dry Days!
President Trump continues to crucify a new set of Americans most every day for real, or imagined, sins against his presidency.
The President is like a kid with a new toy — playing phone all day long. And our politicians, from national to local — can’t seem to agree on the time of day, much less important things.
But, so be it. Life goes on. And the daily chores on our farms and ranches never ceases. Well, sometimes a trip to the big city for sightseeing or a fishing trip to the river helps to make most of us a little more relaxed.
Some folks just can’t seem to let well enough alone. Our Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is currently under indictment on fraud charges, wants to send nearly a million young Mexican men and women back home. These are the so-called “dreamers”, youngsters that came to the U.S. when they were still toddlers. Today most of those immigrants are just in their early 20’s, have good jobs and pay their taxes. They are not on food stamps or other government welfare programs. In other words, they make a valued contribution to their new country. When I hear Paxton or other radicals calling for kicking the “dreamers” out of our country, it’s evident they are just blowing smoke for their political gain.
Dr. Joe Masabni, Texas A & M vegetable specialist, has a goal of improving yields from tomato plants. This summer by grafting some plants and with a careful fertilization program, he picked up to 30-pounds of tomatoes from many of his plants. Similar trials were conducted at several Texas locations — and all showed better tomato yields from grafted plants fertilized on a strict schedule.
Masabni is working with a number of other vegetables in his gardens at the Overton Center just outside Tyler. For sure, he is showing by word and deed that vegetable farming on a small—or large—scale can be profitable here in East Texas for folks willing to work.
Most of us missed National Hot Dog Day on July 19th.
First inkling that the day was being celebrated came from the PETA organization. PETA is short for “People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals”. It came to pass that a big hot dog cookout was held in Washington, D.C. near the Capitol.
The event drew members of the U.S. Congress, hot dog makers, and thousands more folks who enjoyed the event—and the food. The PETA folks got in on the act by carrying signs and voicing messages that eating meat is a cardinal sin.
Several young ladies hired by the PETA group showed up to flaunt a vegetarian diet. Rather than clothing they used lettuce leaves to cover their private parts. All in all, the PETA crowd got some attention from hot dog enthusiasts, but made no converts! Sure hate I missed it!
