Stephen Burckhardt's Blog: My Blog Ramblings, page 37

Friday Funnies: School Daze!

Hello, Posse!

I hope you have all had a wonderful week and are looking forward to an even better weekend. I'm not really looking forward to Sunday. P.R. has to leave early for a business trip, but that does mean I will have several days here with just Shaggy, where I will be doing nothing but writing . . . and watching the horror movies P.R. does not like to watch.

As someone who has been an online teacher and was a reading tutor in a brick and mortal elementary school, I know this time of year can be so hectic for some people. Put the CoVid concerns on top of all of that with the ever raging mask/vaccine for school kids debates and you have a perfect storm of stress! So, what better time for some ridiculous Dad jokes?

I think this is the perfect week for jokes that focus on school. Some of the best comments that have made me laugh to tears have come from my students. It is one of the things that makes working with kids so much fun.

Another thing that is fun, is reading out loud to kids and having them read to you. The Into the West Saga Serial is a great book series to share with your kids.

There is no sex, no profanity, and while there is some violence (it is the old west after all), there is no graphic violence in the series. Plus, I work very hard to make sure this series is historically factual down to seemingly insignificant details such as, if sweet potatoes would be readily available in the Kansas territory at this time so a character could have had sweet potato sweet cakes for breakfast. There is nothing like teaching kids history hidden in an entertaining story.

Check out all of the Into the West Saga Serial books on the My Books (

Have a great weekend, Posse! I hope to have an update on Monday for part six, Into the West: Last Showdown. So be sure to check out the Monday Movie Madness blog for news and updates.

But for now, on with the jokes!!!!

Enjoy,

Stephen

Q: Why did the teacher wear his sunglasses in the classroom?

A: Because his students were all so bright!

Q: Why did the student cross the playground?

A: To get to the other slide.

Q: How is an English teacher like a judge?

A: They both assign sentences to people who usually don't want them.

Q: What is a math teachers favorite snake?

A: A Pi-thon

Teacher: I didn't see you yesterday, Jonny. You missed school, didn't you?

Student: Nope, not even a little.

Q: Why are math teachers always so unhappy?

A: The deal with nothing but problems all day long.

Q: Why did the teacher slowly wade into the waves on the beach?

A: She wanted to test the water.

Q: Did you know that math teachers never die?

A: They just lose their functions.

Teacher: If I have 4 baseballs in one hand and 5 tennis balls in the other, what do I have?

Student: Really big hands!

Teacher: If 7 people give you $50 each, what do you have?

Student: A new xBox!

Q: Why did the math teacher write the equations on the window?

A: Because he wanted the lesson to be very clear for the students!

Q: Why did the students eat their homework?

A: The teacher told them all it was going to be a piece of cake.

And last but not least (a personal favorite of mine) . . .

Q: What can you say to an English teacher when she is sad to comfort her?

A: There, Their, They're!

Teachers at the Dry Bar Comedy

A few are a little risqué, but not too bad. All are funny.

https://youtu.be/wwAbISy_DTs

Whatever Wednesday: Writing Hangover

Hello, Posse!

If you have been following my blog, you know this part of my Into the West Saga Serial has been giving me a bit of trouble. First, I forgot to put something in the fourth book and had to correct that in the fifth. Second, I wrote too much for the fifth book, so I had to break it up into two books, making the saga a bit longer than originally planned. Now, with the sixth book I am currently writing, I find I want to just keep writing. I worry this book will end up too long . . . again, because I just can't stop adding more to the story.

I would imagine from a reader's standpoint, that probably doesn't sound like an actual problem, but it is driving me crazy. After I've been writing a good long while, I often feel "hung over". I usually do not sleep a lot, but lately this story has been tiring me out. When I usually go to bed, I sit up for several hours reading or playing games on my tablet, but not lately. I drag off to bed about 3 am and just crash.

But the great thing is, I am so loving this story. I have been struggling with being true to actual American history. I know there is a good chance someone, somewhere is going to take issue with how I portray something, but I want it to be honest. I think those who came before us deserve that. Sugar coating things certain groups in our population not only survived, but persevered in spite of is something I think deserves representation.

So be ready for some interesting additions in Into the West: Last Showdown. I think it will be the best one yet in the Into the West Saga Serial, even if I do say so myself. However, I will be happy to allow all of you to be the final judges on that. Keep watching my social media for release dates to be announced soon. We are planning for sometime in September. Fingers crossed!

Don't forget, you can join my mailing list and never miss out on news or upcoming release dates. Just go to our ,subscribers page (Into the West: The Orphan Train for free. If you haven't read my books this is a great way to try them out with no risk to you. The mailing list is free to join, quit anytime, no strings attached . . . ever! What have you got to lose? Join us today and start reading!

Monday Movie Madness: Whispering Smith

Photo: HA.com If you like vintage movie posters, be sure to check them out!

Hello, Posse!

I hope you are having a great day and have come into Monday feeling relaxed and happy after a great weekend. I spent the weekend updating my website. I found I had automated messages that were being sent out that had not been updated since I built the site. The graphics in these messages only showed that I had the first two books in publication. Oops.

I really look forward to the day I make enough money from my books that I can afford to pay someone to take care of the basic updating and general maintenance of my website. Ah, to dream! I did just apply for a job recently. If I get it, I would end up with less time to actually write, but I might be able to afford to pay for someone to take care of the general upkeep and maybe even start some real advertising. Then I could spend my time actually writing the books and not ding all of the "extras". No matter what, this site and the books will continue. I can't imagine ever giving this up. I love it too much.

Another thing I seriously love is watching movies!

Today's Western movie is Whispering Smith. It was released in 1948 by Paramount Pictures and was directed by Leslie Fenton. This was the first Western film for its star Alan Ladd and, like with many great Western movies, Whispering Smith was based on a novel. The book Whispering Smith was written by Frank H. Spearman and had a previous movie adaptation starring H. B. Warner which was released in 1926.

Ladd was joined on the cast by Robert Preston, Brenda Marshall, Donald Crisp, Fay Holden, William Demarest, Murvyn Vye, Frank Faylen, John Eldredge, Ward Wood, J. Farrell MacDonald, , and Will Wright. The movie was filmed on a $2 million dollar budget and managed to bring in $2.8 million at the box office. The storyline also later spawned a TV series which aired on NBC in 1961 staring Audie Murphy.

The studio spent $70,000 to build a Western town on their backlot for this movie, including 2000 feet of railroad track on which they ran authentic 1870 locomotives. The set did not go to waste after the filming of Whispering Smith was complete. It was used again for many subsequent movies and TV shows including one of my personal favorites, Bonanza.

Today's movie follows Luke "Whispering" Smith (Ladd), a railroad detective sent to investigate a recent train robbery during which a guard was shot. The Barton boys, Blake (Vye), Leroy (Wood), and Gabby (Kortman) are the suspected culprits.

During his investigation, Smith meets up with an old friend, Murray Sinclair (Preston), who works for the railroad. When Smith catches up to the Barton boys, he shoots Leroy and Gabby, but is shot in the process. He is saved when the harmonica in his pocket takes the bullet for him. The harmonica had been a gift from his former love interest, Marian, who just happens to currently be married to his friend, Sinclair.

Things take a dramatic turn when Smith learns that Sinclair may be involved in some shady dealings with a local rancher, Barney Rebstock (Crisp). Rebstock has a bad reputation and has been hiding Blake Barton. He even hires a gunslinger, Whitey DuSang (Faylen) to deal with Smith and hopefully stop his investigation. When Sinclair is fired by the railroad, Redstock hires him to rob trains instead. As the conflicts come to a head, allies turn on each other and friendships are tested.

Dailymotion.com does have a full movie listing for Whispering Smith on their site. If you can access that website where you live, be sure to give this movie a try.

Movie Snack Recipe

Today's movie snack recipe is so good you will not want to whisper about it, you will shout from the rooftops how good this is. I'm talking about Bite Size Blooming Onions by Macheemo.com (

I am a serious onion ring fan and this recipe blows onion rings right out of the water! I like to pair mine with a little Sriracha Mayo (if your read my blogs often, you know I love this) or a Bourdon BBQ sauce. I keep thinking I need to try a nice Queso dip too, it just seems like a good idea. The possibilities for sauce combinations are virtually endless! If you give this movie snack recipe a try, be sure to share your favorite dip choices with us.

Tip: Other blooming onion recipes I have tried have you soak the onions in an ice water bath for at least 30 minutes or more to help the petals open up so you can get the coating down in the onion. I forgot to try that with this recipe and just thought about that as I posted this. I plan to try it next time. No matter what, it never hurts to try.

Great Westerns

Remember, like with today's movie pick, many great Western movies start out as great Western books. If you haven't already, why not read my Into the West Saga Serial Collection (click to view books ---^). Parts one through five are available now on Amazon.com and BN.com. I'm currently writing part six for a planned September release and part seven, the final book in this serial, is slated for a Christmas release (cross your fingers).

If you join my mailing list, you can read the first chapter of part one, Into the West: The Orphan Train for free! It's free to join, quit anytime, no strings attached! My mailing plan only allows for three mass emails a month, so there is no chance I will ever bombard you with tons of emails. What have you got to lose? Join us today, just click here and fill out the form.

But you know what time it is now, posse! It's time to grab your snacks and settle in for another great western movie!

Enjoy!

StephenWhispering Smith Trailer - 1948

This is the only trailer I can find online for this movie. Yes, I know it is just a black screen, but if you click "Watch on YouTube" below, you should be able to view it on their site.

https://youtu.be/B0RNC-NrPhcRadio Show Screen Director's Playhouse Whispering Smith with Alan Ladd

(September 16, 1949)

https://youtu.be/qSFotTY6Z10

Friday Funnies: Doctors!

Hello, Posse!

Sorry things are a little later than usual today. I started working on the blog on time, but then I got distracted fixing some things on the website and I ran into our "date night" time and had to take a break. Every Friday P.R. and I order take out and spend the evening talking, watching TV together, or playing video games. It's great when two geeks marry.

The good news is, I think I finally got the free chapter set up fixed so when you sign up for my email list you will actually get the free first chapter of my award-winning Into the West: The Orphan Train. While I was working on that, I found I had not updated the other automated messages on my site since I first built the thing back when I only had the first two books published. I fixed that too. So, on with the blog!

I hope you are having better weather wherever you are than we are getting here. It has been so cold and rainy, I have just completely gone back to my winter wardrobe. I almost turned on my heated mattress pad this morning because it was so chilly when I woke up. Where my mom lives, back in Kansas, they have had at least one day where her city was the hottest place in the US. Mother Nature is obviously going through menopause.

I told P.R. today this cold weather here is probably our fault. We had suffered through so many sweltering summers without air conditioning here, surviving with just fans in every room and opening all the windows. This year we finally broke down and bought a portable air cooler with a water tank that uses ice packs to chill the air. It actually works pretty good. It was horribly hot when we ordered it. We got good use out of it for about two weeks, then the weather turned and it's been sitting in the corner ever since. Dang that Murphy and his law!

This morning I woke up with a sinus headache and it made me think about my doctor so today we get doctor jokes! When I was going through all of my brain surgeries I was always cracking jokes and teasing my doctor (the brat still owes me a lemon lollipop! And NO I will never let that go!). For my first surgery, I wore a T-shirt I had made (it was handy that I was a graphic design artist back then and designed shirts for work) that read "FREE Bad Haircuts with each craniotomy!" Under that in small letters it had my doctors name listed as the hairstylist to the hairless. I had another shirt I had made to wear leaving the hospital. It had a picture of a crazy cat and it read, "I had brain surgery, what's your excuse?" I still have the first shirt, I have no idea what happened to the second.

When I was being wheeled into the surgery suite, they always stop and asked, Do you know what you are going into surgery for? Do you understand why? I always gave a smart aleck answer: Yes, my doctor needs a new summer home. Yes, my doctor wants a boat for his summer home. Yes, my doctor needs a new dock for his boat at his summer home. You get the idea.

When I went in for my last surgery I was too tired and weak to make jokes. The doctor said that was the only time he ever worried about me. Humor can get people through some of the toughest times in their lives. That is one reason why I do these Friday Funnies. If someone is having a bad day and finds one of these blogs, I'd like to think my stupid "Dad" jokes will make their day just a little bit better.

Have a great weekend, Posse and don't forget, if you need some more quality entertainment, I also write books! Check out all the books in my Into the West Saga Serial here (

There is some violence in the books, but nothing too graphic. The focus of the storyline is on families and how people connect. You can check out the reviews on Amazon.com. I do not have many, but they are all good. The only complaint I have had is that my first book was "too short and cliffhanger". I thought it was an odd complaint, that a cliffhanger serial ended in a cliffhanger, but what are you gonna do? Honestly, I took that review as a complement, they obviously wanted more story and were dying to know what happened next.

But why read to my comments when you can read the books for yourself. You can get started with the first ebook for just 99¢. If you aren't sure you want to commit, you can always sign up for my mailing list and get the first chapter of book one for free, and I just fixed that automation so I know you will get it now.

But enough yammerin' time for JOKES!

Enjoy,

Stephen

Nurse: Doctor, there's a patient on line 1 who says he's invisible.

Doctor: Well, tell him I can't see him right now.

Doctor: Ma'am, I'm afraid with your condition you can no longer touch anything alcoholic.

Patient: So I guess I'll be needing a divorce.

Eye Doctor: Have you hear of Conjunctivitis.com?

Patient: Yes, that's a site for sore eyes.

Doctor: Nurse, I need you to walk quietly when you go past the pill cupboard.

Nurse: Why, doctor?

Doctor: I don't want you to wake the sleeping pills.

Patient: Doctor, my hair keeps falling out. Do you have anything to keep it in? Doctor: What about a cardboard box?

Patient: Does an apple a day really keep the doctor away? Nurse: It does if you have good aim.

A man walks into a doctor’s office. He has a cucumber up his nose, a zucchini in his left ear, and a carrot in his right. Before the patient can say anything the doctor speaks up. Doctor: Well, it's obvious what your problem is, you’re not eating properly!

Patient: Doctor, you brought me back from the brink of death, however will I be able to thank you enough? Doctor: I accept cash, check, or credit card.

Husband: I told my doctor I think I broke my arm in two places. Wife: What did she say?

Husband: She told me to stop going to those places.

Doctor: I'm afraid you are very ill and there's nothing I can do. Is there anyone you would like me to contact for you?

Patient: Yes, another doctor.

Doctor: What seems to be the problem today? Patient: Whenever I get up, I feel dizzy for an hour. Doctor: Have you tried getting up an hour later?

And last but not least, an oldie but a goodie!

An old lady goes to the doctor. She mentions that she always seems to have horrible gas, but luckily when she passes gas, they are always silent and have no smell. In fact, during the exams she passed gas a few times. Doctor: I am going to give you a prescription, then I want you to come back in a week for a follow up.One week later, the old lady comes back.Old lady: Doctor, I don’t know what you gave me, but now when I pass gas the smell horrible!Doctor: That's great! Now that we fixed your sinuses, we can work on your hearing.

And now for the BEST TV skit EVER!The Dentist from the Carol Burnett Showhttps://youtu.be/9IUSM4EKcRI

Whatever Wednesday: TikTok Recipes

(Photo from https://grilledcheesesocial.com/2019/06/27/baked-feta-pasta-with-tomatoes/ )

Hello, Posse!

Today is going to be another short and sweet blog. I'm falling asleep at the computer and it's only 5 pm. I usually only have coffee in the morning I switch to water or tea pretty quick. Not today, I'm trying to stay awake, so more coffee than usual has been needed. It maybe then only reason I'm even moderately coherent.

I do not know if you all are into TikTok or not, but one thing I do love on this platform is the recipes. This dish you see above is easily one of my favorites. In fact, this is what we will be having for dinner tonight. The TikTok pasta, feta, and tomato dish is so easy to make and tastes fantastic! I make some "shortcut" garlic bread knots to go with it and no one ever knows how easy this meal was to put together. Well, if the read my blog . . . they know now.

Check out Grilled Cheese Social's video and see just how easy this dish is to make. Be sure to subscribe to Chef MacKenzie Smith's YouTube channel for more great recipes.

https://youtu.be/mqa6ji-MZQA

For my garlic knots, I use a can of ready made crescent rolls, butter, powdered garlic, Italian spices and some shredded cheese. Unroll the crescent rolls and lightly butter them. Sprinkle with garlic and spices, top with a little cheese and roll up and bake per directions on crescent roll package. You can alway add a nice side salad to really round out the nutrients.

Just a little update, I have managed to work out the issues with the new first chapter of part 6, Into the West: Last Showdown. Part of the problem was I was trying to cram everything I needed in the story into one chapter. I finally just deiced to split it into two chapters to make it make more sense. I hope to have it finished this weekend. We will see what I can make happen.

Keep watching the social media for information and release dates as soon as they go live.

Thanks for going on this journey with me, posse! You will never be able to understand how much your support means to me!

Have a great day,

Dianne

Monday Movie Madness: Ballad of Little Jo

Hello, Posse!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Not much to report here right now. Still working on Part 6, Into the West: Last Showdown. I'm thinking about sharing another Sneak Peek this Wednesday. So be sure to check back for that this week. But for right now, how about we just get straight to our movie and then I will get back to finishing the next book.

Today's movie is The Ballad of Little Jo. This is an American Western that was released in 1993. The film was written and directed by Maggie Greenwald and was inspired by true events. The film stars Suzy Amis, Bo Hopkins, Ian McKellen, David Chung, Heather Graham, Carrie Snodgress and Melissa Leo.

The film was nominated for Best Female Lead (Amis) and Best Supporting Male (Chung) by the Independent Spirit Awards in 1994. The movie had a budget of 4 million dollars and earned a little over $500,000 at the box office. Despite the poor box office showing, this movie delivers some stellar performances by some amazing actors and is worth seeing.

The story follows Josephine (Amis) who is a woman disowned by her upper class family for becoming pregnant outside of wedlock. With no financial resources of her own, she gives up custody of her baby and heads west to start a new life.

Josephine finds the Wild West to be even more treacherous than she suspected. Josephine is in constant fear for her life. For her own safety, Josephine decides to disguise herself as a man and becomes Jo. Jo settles in a small town where she takes a job working for Frank Badger (Hopkins) as a sheepherder. Jo is able to hide the truth of who she is until she is forced to share her living quarters with Tinman Wong (Chung). The relationships Jo forges are at the heart of this intriguing saga.

Movi Snack Recipe

With Jo working as a sheepherder, what better snack could we have than one using a good sheep cheese as the base for the recipe. Marion's Kochbuch has a wonderful Sheep Cheese in Bacon Coat Antipasti recipe.

If you are not fond of sheep cheese you can always switch it up for a good mozzarella. No matter what cheese you use for this, it will be a quick tasty snack I am sure everyone will enjoy.

Great Westerns

Just like todays movie, many of the elements I use for my books are from actual event in my own family history and those of close personal friends. If you haven't already, why not read my Into the West Saga Serial Collection (

Now you know what time it is, posse! It's time to grab your snacks and settle in for another great western movie!

Enjoy!

StephenThe Balla of Little Jo Trailer (1993) https://youtu.be/8Cq7zD0_QoM

Friday Funnies: Randomness

Hello, Posse!

I'm off to a very slow start today. I slept through my alarm, got up and ran to a government office to pick up some paperwork, only to find out the people who handle that are no in the office on Fridays. Looks like I will be going back out on Monday to try again.

Since getting back home I have been chatting online with my mother and sister. We don't do this often so it is easy to get caught up in the conversations when we have them. I was thrilled, because I got to finally share some great news I have been sitting on for a while now. P.R. (my better half) has been working tirelessly to advance in their career path. Recently P.R. earned Lead Architect credentials. It was a lot of work and I am so proud of everything P.R. put into this. It was a LOT of work. There is just one more level P.R. can obtain and P.R. has already started working toward earning that level too. I know P.R. will earn that one too!

So enough of my gushing about P.R., today is Friday Funnies. I was at a loss for a topic for the jokes today and mom sent me some great jokes but they did not follow a single theme which is why today's theme is randomness. I know you are going to like these.

I have been working hard on Part 6, Into the West: Last Showdown. I do not mind telling you that I will enjoy doing terrible things to Sheriff Jones in this books because his character has been a real pain in my backside writing the opening chapter. I'm still not 100% happy with it but I want to skip on and finish the ending them I will work on it in the first edit.

This has been especially aggravating for me because usually the way I write, I think about the story for a while then I just sit down and write it stream of consciousness from start to finish then send it to the editor. I have never rewritten much of the stories. I might reword a sentence here or there but never a major rewrite. I have reworked this opening chapter so many times, I'm really starting to dislike Sheriff Jones as much as Blackjack does!

I am still planning for a September release for this so keep watching my social media for updates. I might be putting up a presale to keep me focused and on track. Sometimes I need that little push.

But now it's time for the jokes!

Have a great weekend posse!

Stephen

“The worst time to have a heart attack is during a game of charades.” — Demetri Martin

“Honesty may be the best policy, but it’s important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy.” — George Carlin

“I looked up my family tree and found out I was the sap.” — Rodney Dangerfield

“The easiest time to add insult to injury is when you’re signing somebody’s cast.” — Demetri Martin

“I was raised as an only child, which really annoyed my sister.” — Will Marsh

“Do Transformers get car or life insurance?” — Russell Howard

“My father drank so heavily, when he blew on the birthday cake he lit the candles.” — Les Dawson

“By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he is too old to go anywhere.” — Billy Crystal

“Proof that we don’t understand death is that we give dead people a pillow.” — Jerry Seinfeld

“Don’t talk to me about Valentine’s Day. At my age, an affair of the heart is a bypass.” — Joan Rivers

“Employee of the month is a good example of how somebody can be both a winner and a loser at the same time.” — Demetri Martin

“When I was a boy, I laid in my twin-sized bed and wondered where my brother was.” — Mitch Hedberg

“My drug test came back negative. My dealer sure has some explaining to do.” — Unknown

Harry Anderson at the Improvhttps://youtu.be/2Peq-3zqVQY

Whatever Wednesday: Rainy Days!

Hello, Posse!

I hope your weather is better than ours. I should have known when we finally broke down and bought an air conditioner, the weather would turn wet and cold for the rest of the summer. I have been wearing sweaters again for more than a week now and have switched back from iced tea to hot tea. Dang that Murphy and his law!

The crazy thing is, I actually love this kind of weather . . . in October. But it really seems out of place in August. I always want to grab a good book, a blanket, and a good cup of tea when the weather is like this. It is no conducive to my writing unfortunately. I find it a real struggle to be productive on dark, rainy days.

I have been forcing myself to work, but I am still struggling with the opening chapter of Into the West: Last Showdown. Sheriff Jones is a real pain in the backside for Shorty and Blackjack, so I do not know why I am surprised he'd be just as big of a pain for me too. In fact, he's pretty much a pain to everyone who deals with him, so it seems logical that he would be hard to get in line in the story too. At least that is what I'm going to tell myself so I do not feel too bad about struggling with his backstory. I am determined to get him settled down and the opener finished today! I know I have said that at least once (or twice) in the last week or so but it is happening. I'm tired of his guff.

I need to get back to finishing the last few chapters because this is leading up to the big climax of this saga and it is going to be a doozy even if I do say so myself. For the first time, I am actually going to try to intentionally pull on a few heart strings. I know a few of you have told me before that my books hit you emotionally, but it was never anything I tried to do, it was just a side effect of the story. This time, I'm actually hoping to get an emotional response. We will see how I do.

So now I really should get back to work but I feel like I should give you a little something to tide you over. How about a little Sneak Peek?

Please note: This blog and all the information in it, is copyright protected and should not be copied without the express permission of Stephen Burckhardt. If you would like to share this sneak peek, please share the link to the blog. Even is you do not want to share the sneak peek, please share the link this blog. I can always use more readers! Thank you.

Into the West: Last Showdown - Sneak Peek

Part Six of the Into the West Saga Serial

Growing up his father had literally beat it into him that some people were better than others. According to his father, if you weren’t strong enough to claw your way to the top of the food chain, you deserved to be treated as less than everyone else. It was a lesson Homer’s father repeated often as he reminded him why he named his only son, Homer.

His father, Rutherford B. Jones, had run for senator of Missouri several times, but never won the seat. He had to settle for being mayor of their small town just south of Independence, Missouri. His one great accomplishment in life had been marrying Velma Polk.

According to Rutherford, Velma was the most beautiful girl in town. She had her pick of suitors, but it was Rutherford who had managed to charm her father and secure her hand in marriage. It hadn’t mattered to him that she had been in love with another less accomplished man. Her father had known that Rutherford was the better man and that was all that was important.

Rutherford also boasted that he managed to secure an heir with her on their wedding night. However, his plans for having a large family of strapping young men who would grow up in his image was cut short with the birth of Homer.

At 16 years old, Velma had a difficult pregnancy. She suffered from horrible sickness and fainting spells. Rutherford sent her to live with her mother until the child was born with instructions they were to send word the minute it was known if he had a son. He gave no instructions should she produce a daughter.

When word had come that Rutherford had a son, he hopped on his horse and raced to his in-laws home. When he arrived, he found everyone in the home to be somber and quiet. He pushed passed the house slaves and demanded to see his son. A woman known as Mamma Mable came into the parlor carrying a tiny, swaddled bundle.

She walked up to Rutherford and presented him with his son. The bundle was so small in her hands, he didn't realize at first that she was handing him his child. The baby’s face was very thin and gaunt, not the plump and healthy look he had seen on other children. One tiny hand was visible where it was holding onto the blanket. The skin had a grey pallor to it and the fingers were so long and thin, almost feminine in Rutherford's opinion. He just looked at Mamma Mable like she was trying to pull a joke on him.

“This tiny, fragile creature cannot be my son,” said Rutherford.

Momma Mable just looked at Rutherford. His rejection of his son took her by surprise.

“Mr. Jones, sir, I assure you, this is your son,” said Momma Mable. “I birthed him myself.”

She took a step closer to him and held the child out.

Rutherford gave her a disgusted look as he took a step back. He started to look around the room for his in-laws.

“Where is Mr. Polk?” demanded Rutherford. “I will speak to him about this.”

Momma Mable cradled the child closer as she looked down at the floor.

“He and Mrs. Polk are with their daughter,” she said quietly as she gestured toward the back bedroom.

“I believe you mean they are with my wife,” Rutherford said as he pushed passed her, nearly knocking the child from her arms.

As Rutherford neared the back bedroom, he could hear someone crying and another voice saying soft comforting words but was not able to make out what was being said. When he stepped into the room he instantly understood the situation. His wife, his prize, was dead.

Rutherford said nothing as he just stood there for a moment taking in the scene. It was obvious she had bled too much with the birth. Not only had that ugly, fragile child not lived up to his expectations but he took his beautiful young wife from him. Now he would have to find another to replace her.

Monday Movie Madness: The Far Country

Hello, Posse!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I am not going to lie, I took the weekend off from everything to spend some quality time with P.R.. Now, I'm sure at least some of you are thinking, "aren't you two both working from home and spending all day, every day in the same house together for the most part?"

While it is true that we are both here, believe it or not we rarely see each other. P.R. is working in the living room and I have the guest bedroom as my office. P.R. is a morning person and is up at dawn and goes to bed at a normal hour. I am a night person and wake up around 9 or 9:30 most days and will be up until 2 or 3 am almost every night (with an occasional 4 or 5 am bed time). We make a point to have dinner together every night so we can talk, but then we usually both go back to our parts of the house to work some more.

This past week we took several days to actually hang out together. We watched movies, we played video games, and we talked a lot. It was some great quality time I think we both really needed. I think it helped with the stress I have been feeling writing this new opening chapter. I plan to finish it today and hopefully my characters will not be trying to go so dark in the story now that I feel more relaxed. We will see. Some of those rascals can be ornery!

But enough about me, it's time to talk about James Stewart and The Far Country!

The Far Country was released in 1954 and was directed by Anthony Mann and written by Borden Chase. It is classified as an American Technicolor Western Romance film. This film stars some very recognizable western actors from the time period beginning with one of my favorite actors, James Stewart. I love his westerns. He has such an easy relaxed manner to his acting that just makes him perfect (in my opinion) for the "everyman" kind of characters.

Joining Stewart on the cast is Ruth Roman, Walter Brennan, John McIntire, Corinne Calvet, Jay C. Flippen, Harry Morgan, Steve Brodie, Connie Gilchrist , Robert J. Wilke, Chubby Johnson, Royal Dano, Eugene Borden, Jack Elam, Eddy Waller, Kathleen Freeman, and Connie Van. If you don't recognize the names, I guarantee you will recognize some of the faces of these actors.

The Far Country was one of several film collaborations for Stewart and Mann. Their other films include: Winchester '73 (1950), Bend of the River (1952), The Naked Spur (1953), Thunder Bay (1953), The Glenn Miller Story (1954), Strategic Air Command (1955), and The Man from Laramie (1955). They made some truly iconic films together and I dare ay their westerns were their best.

The Far Country follows cowboys Jeff Webster (Stewart) and his partner, Ben Tatum (Brennan), as they attempt to cash in on the Yukon Gold Rush in Alaska. The pair decide to drive their herd of cattle from Wyoming to Yukon to make some serious cash for their herd. On their way, they meet a self-appointed judge named Gannon (McIntire) as he is trying to hang a man. Gannon confiscates their cattle as punishment, but the men manage to get their cattle and get out of town with Gannon and his men hot on their trial. Webster and Tatum manage to shake their pursuers and make it to Yukon, but it turns out Gannon has business in the town and eventually the men are forced to face off and settle their differences once and for all.

Movie Snack Recipe

I don't know about you, but when I think of Alaska, one of the first foods that come to mind is Salmon. These tasty Smoked Salmon Cucumber Rolls by Simply Homecooked (

If you are not a fan of fish, you can always use shredded chicken or make it vegetarian and use spinach instead. These make a tasty and healthy snack to enjoy with today's movie or any time you want a light snack that is not going to take a lot of preparation. I plan to whip up a batch this next week for our own family movie night.

Great Westerns

Remember, many great western movies started out as great western books. If you haven't already, why not read my Into the West Saga Serial Collection (. Parts one through five are available now on Amazon.com and BN.com. I'm currently writing part six for a planned September release and part seven, the final book in this serial, is slated for a Christmas release (cross your fingers).

You know what time it is now, posse! It's time to grab your snacks and settle in for another great western movie!

Enjoy!

StephenThe Far Country Trailer (1954) https://youtu.be/gHNo7dRDomw

It's National Tell a Joke Day, so it's the perfect time to share a joke from James Stewart.

https://youtu.be/q7yxeZCC9a8

Friday Funnies: Writer Woes!

Hello, Posse,

I hope you have had a wonderful week and are looking forward to an even better weekend. Here in the Burckhardt home we have had some fantastic developments (for P.R.) and some not so fantastic developments (for me). We decided to drink Champagne to celebrate the good and will worry about the other when things later when is it necessary. I will share more details about these things when everything is settled for sure. Nothing will have an affect on me finishing my books series, so we are all good there.

As for today, I thought some jokes about writers would be good. I am feeling the struggle as I wrestle with my characters and try to get them to cooperate to finish part six, Into the West: Last Showdown. A few of them are being ornery. I am bringing some historical realism to this book that a few people might find difficult to read, but I want to be as accurate to real history as possible. I think that is the only respectful thing to do. We will see how that plays out.

But for now, on with the jokes!

Enjoy,

StephenWhat is like being a writer?

Being a writer is 10% writing and 90% staring at your computer screen trying to think of a better way to describe how your character buttered his toast.

Being a writer is writing 4,000 words at five o'clock in the morning and then not being motivated to work on your book again for weeks.

Being a writer is having no logical idea why you hoard notebooks

Being a writer is not knowing why you never write in your hoards of notebooks.

Being a writer is knowing you need to get to work and write as you check your email and social media pages just one more time.

Being a writer is having a browser history filled with: definition of affect and effect, synonym for affect, when to use affect, when to use effect, synonym for effect.

Being a writer is having a brilliant story idea for book seven, which will end your book serial, and spending the day writing notes for it instead of writing book five which is the book you are actually working on.

Being a write is have a file filled with: FinalDraft.doc, FinalDraft1.doc, Finaldraft2.doc, FINALFinalDraft.doc, FINALFinalDraft1.doc

Last but not least, for my writer friends . . .

Knock, knock.

Who’s there?

Orange.

Orange who?

Orange you supposed to be writing instead of reading jokes about writers?

This is amazing, if you like words, this is a must watch.

John Branyan: Three Little Pigshttps://youtu.be/l_UegL1R3X8