Duchess NW Domain

Alva, Oklahoma - When the winds come sweeping down the plains . . . The Northwest Oklahomans living around the area of Ft. Supply and perhaps Buffalo, Oklahoma, in the vicinity of highway 183, might get their electrical power generated from these "Wind Turbines!"

Except, On Friday, October 1, 2010, late morning, along highway 183, somewhere between Ft. Supply and Buffalo, Oklahoma these turbines were not moving too fast and some not at all. One was being worked on at the ground base. AND . . . Friday morning there was very little breeze, if any, Friday morning, on the first day of October.

Did you Oklahomans like the cool weather we conjured up after we arrived in Northwest Oklahoma? Hear tell Wednesday should bring a slight warming trend back up to the 80s.

NW Okie says this Duchess Pug (that is me) snores louder and more in the Oklahoma plains than I do in the Colorado Rockies! Who knew!

How many "baby boomers" out there grew up watching the actor, Tony Curtis, on the movie screen? Curtis was one of my favorite actors! Especially, the movie, Defiant Ones, with Sidney Poitier. I did not realize until after reading the article about Tony Curtis, he served in the Pacific during World War II. Now I wish I could go back -- see if my Uncle, Major Robert Lee McGill, ever bumped paths with Curtis while he was stationed for a time in the Pacific during WWII.

Good Night and Good Luck! View/Write Comments (count 1)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Barney & Clyde - GoComics by Weingarten & Clark

America - This GoComics, Barney & Clyde by Gene Weingarten, Dan Weingarten & David Clark was interesting! Anyone catch my drift?

Cynthia asks her dad why do good things happen to bad people? Her dad replies to his daughter, "Cynthia, that is an excellent question."

The dad goes on to explain that it is because we live in an implacable, uncaring universe . . . A painful place where goodness and virtue are often punished . . . and vileness and evil rewarded indiscriminately . . . in a random, remorseless dystopia called life." View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Home Comfort Cookbook - Soups & Chowders

America - With the Fall, cool weather creeping slowly upon us and Winter to follow, who does not crave a bowl of soup or chowder to help keep them warm, cozy and . . . it works on a light budget, which many of us have tried to accustomed themselves and their families.

This week's issue of The OkieLegacy brings you some tips that your ancestors might have utilized, practiced to perfection back in the 1930's when they were also on a tight budget and using their Wrought Iron Ranges, with their Home Comfort Cookbook flopped open to a particular page.

Soups and Chowders -- Soups may be classified as being either "clear" or "thick." The latter containing vegetables, cream, starch, or other thickening materials. They may also be classified as those with or without meat -- these being usually named from their predominating vegetable or flavor.

Soups afford a valuable means of utilizing, at small cost, the rich mutation to be extracted from the bones, joints, cheaper cuts, and trimmings of meats, as well as the rich juices of meats and vegetables left over from boiling, that are often discarded and wasted. The economical housewife will use these rich extracts by converting them into "stock," from which she may, on short notice, prepare any of a wide variety of good, wholesome soups.

The proper handling of "stock" is the basic essential of all good soups, and this is covered by a few well defined general rules:

Beef, veal, and poultry are meats best adapted to the making of good soup-stock, and may be used separately or in combination. Mutton and lamb also may be used, but sparingly, owing to their strong flavor.

Stock should contain, in combination: The gelatin from bones, gristle, and tendons portions; the savory extracts from the meats; a certain amount of fat; and, the acid salts and alkaline from fresh meats. Care must be taken to avoid any material of doubtful purity and freshness.

A stock-pot may be kept on the back of the range-top, in which such bits of bone or meat may be accumulated through the day. These are then turned into stock while fresh -- all meat and bones must be cut or broken into small pieces.

Cold water, with a little salt added, should always be used in extracting the juices from the meats. Hot water quickly hardens the outer albumen, thus preventing the extraction of the essential juices, while cold water readily dissolves this albumen, as well as other juices, and the salt -- not much -- aids in their extraction.

The stock-pot, with with cold water and materials, is placed in position and allowed to slowly reach the boiling-point, and is then set back to simmer until the juices are sufficiently extracted.

In cold weather, left-over vegetables may safely be added to the stock-pot; but, in warm weather, these are inclined to sour, and shold always be freshly cooked and added to stock when soup is made.

Floating fats and solids should be skimmed off before the stock is set aside or allowed to cool; or, before cooling, the stock should be strained off into a clean vessel. Do not leave it in the stock-pot over night.

Stock may be used the following day, or may be kept for several days by placing in a glass fruit-jar and kept in a cool place.

If all nourishment has not been extracted from the meats, they may be used in a second stock, but it will usually be necessary to add some fresh materials to bring up to full strength. Bones, especially, may be used in second stock.

Left-over soups may be strained, and the liquid included in the next stock.

In hot weather, left-over stock should be brought to the boiling-point every day, and poured into a clean vessel to prevent souring.

When clear soups -- as consomme -- are required, the floating film of excess fat may be removed by passing absorbent, or blotting paper lightly over the surface.

Soups should not be allowed to boil again, after the addition of such thickening materials as eggs, milk, or starch.

Soups and broths of fish may be made either from the whole fish or from stock made from the bones, skins and trimmings of white fish. These should be broken into small bits and the stock well strained. As the flavor is stronger, and the juices more easily extracted than of domestic meats, a somewhat larger proportion of water should be used.

CHOWDERS

Chowder is, in reality, a thickened soup closely approaching the stew; however, the term is generally accepted as applying to such dishes made from various vegetable, fish and seafoods. By following the recipes, anyone may make perfect chowders; however, a wide range of variation is permissible and one must be governed by the materials at hand.

Pastry In Soups

Noodles, macaroni and vermicelli are always nice additions to almost any soup. By boiling these products in any kind of good soup stock, Noodle Soup, Vermicelli Coup, etc, is made in the plain form; however, many variations will suggest themselves.

Macaroni is especially adapted to beef and vegetable soups. Vermicelli is a valuable addition to chicken soup, or clear, rich soup of any kind that is served in the smaller quantities. These pastries should, in most cases, be swelled by standing in luke-warm water for a time before putting into the soup. Consomme

From 1 quart good strong soup stock, skim all fat from the surface; put in a stew pan, and add the white and clean shell of 1 egg beaten thoroughly with 1 tablespoon cold water; place over fire and heat gradually, constantly stirring to prevent egg from sticking to the pan; boil gently until egg rises to surface in thick white scum and stock becomes clear under the egg; remove egg, and filter stock through folded napkin or cloth laid on a colander, but do not move or squeeze it through, allowing it to pass through naturally; season with salt and serve while hot.

Mock Turtle Soup

This next recipe has nothing to do with turtles. Have you ever heard your ancestors talk of Mock Turtle Soup? Was it favorably? What did they mention about this unique delicacy? Let me know if this gets too gruesome!

Let someone besides yourself clean a calf-head, removing brains and tongue shoal, the meat from the bone, and chopping the bone into several pieces; put all to soak separately in salt-water for several minutes to bleach; use brain and tongue for separate dishes, turning meat and bone into soup.

Put a stock kettle with about 1 gallon cold water and the bone, head-meat, tongue, half a bunch of parsley, half a stalk of celery, one large bay leaf, three cloves, half an inch of a stick of cinnamon, six whole allspice, six peppercorns, half of a large carrot, and one turnip. When the tongue is tender take out, to be served as a separate dish. Leave in the flesh for about two hours, when it will be perfectly tender. let the bones, etc., simmer for six hours, then strain and put stock away until the next day.

At the same time that the calf's head is cooking in one vessel, make a stock in another, with a small beef or veal soup bone, and any scraps of poultry (it would be improved with a hickey added; and one might take this opportunity to have a boiled chicken for dinner, cooking it in the stock); put into two or three quarts of water, and simmer until reduced to a pint.

The next day remove fat and settlings from the two stocks.

Put into a two-quart pan 2 tablespoons butter and when it bubbles stir in an ounce of ham, cut in strips, and 2 tablespoons of flour, stirring it constantly until it gets quite brown; pour the reduced stock over it, mix well, and strain it.

Now, to half a pound of calf's head cut into dice add one quart of calf's-head stock boiling hot, the pint of reduced and thickened stock, and the juice of half a lemon. When it is about to boil set it to one side and skim it very carefully. And the head-meat cut in dice, and two hard-boiled eggs cut in dice, and salt; serve.

As For Cleaning Calf-head: Cut from between the ears to the nose, touching the bone, then cutting close to it, take off all the flesh. Turn over the head, cut open the jaw bone from underneath, and take out the tongue whole. Turn the head back again, crack the top of the skull between the ears, and take out the brains whole; they should be saved for a separate dish.

Next week's Home Comfort cookbook recipes for soup may add a bit of Creole, Mexican and Ox-tail Soup. Does that sound awesome or gruesome? View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

NW Okie's Ramblings & Rumblings

Alva, Oklahoma - Finally! I got to catch a glimpse of my 13 year "old grey mare" and her 2010 bay filly that you are viewing in the photo on the left.

You remember me speaking of Maggie and her 2010 filly a few issues back (or was that last week?). Maggie, 2005 Dun mare, is one of the several colts/fillys out of my 13 year mare, Cindy.

AND . . . Of course, my favorite 2003 Palomino, Nugget (a.k.a. Docs Lynx Son, Trigger). The photo in the link shows Nugget at a younger age (ca. three years) in the process of being broken to ride, saddled and tied to a hitching post.

Nugget has NOT been ridden for awhile, but he is a BIG sweetheart that loves attention showered on him. He picks us out in the crowd and makes his way over for some rubbin', lovin' around his head, ears, nose and neck.

I have two registered brands in Colorado and Oklahoma, that go on the left hind hip. One is shown as a "circle" with a "horizontal bar" across the top, as seen in the certificate on my Essemar quarterhorses site.

The other brand is the one I am using on Nugget, Maggie and Doquoti -- a backwards "L" and using the vertical part of the "L" with sideways "V" (to represent "K") and the "W" for "wagner." The certificate on screen may be out of date, but it has been renewed every five years or so. I just have not gotten around to rescanning the renewed certificates for both . . . yet!

Kathryn Walters Racette posted a message on my Facebook wall concerning her friends inquiry of a Halloween spook, which went by the name of Eugene, and surfaced in the old two-story, Longfellow school building, in Alva, Woods county, Oklahoma. There were reported sounds that seemed to always come from the basement of the school.

Kathyrn and I have never heard or remembering, hearing of this story. A friend of Kathyrn and a friend of hers, who did go to Longfellow school, does remember Eugene, the Halloween spook.

Is there any Northwest Oklahomans and Longfellow school alumni out there that remembers the story and sounds of a Halloween spook named Eugene? View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

WWII Memorial - Sgt. Edward M. Ragsdale, Radio Operator

Kansas - In 1944, Sgt. Edward M. Ragsdale, Radio Operator,succumbed to his death by Parachuting from Aircraft, in a "round robin cross-country camera bombing exercise to Wichita, Kansas to Salina, Kansas to Kansas City, Missouri and return to Ardmore, Oklahoma. Sgt. Edward M. Ragsdale was the last to parachute and was never found.

Gary D. Simmons in Southern Oklahoma sent us the following information concerning the death of a WW II Sgt. Edward M. Ragsdale who died in a parachute accident, in Kansas, five months prior to the story. There are two other articles of other WW II servicemen who had died. We will be putting up on Our Little Memorial Blog on eblogger, with Ragsdale's memorial listed below.

Note: Picture of Sgt. Edward M. Ragsdale not available. Sgt. Ragsdale's parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Paul Ragsdale (on the left), were featured in Life Magazine, November 20, 1944, page 32, along with several other parents who had lost son/s in WWII. At the time of the story, "Families Speak for Their War Dead," a son, Lt. John Paul Jr., had been killed earlier on a bombing mission over Germany. Sgt. Ragsdale had died parachuting in Kansas five-months prior to the story. Another son, 19, was also an Army flier. It is unknown if the remaining son survived the War. Mr. Ragsdale was a veteran of WWI. In the previous month of October alone, 19,183 Americans had died. Roosevelt and Truman had just been reelected as President and Vice-President previous to this issue of Life.

Aircraft B-17F, 42-29929, departed Ardmore, June 14, 1944, at 1130 Central War Time (CWT) on a high-altitude, seven plane formation training flight. They were to fly a "round robin" cross-country camera bombing exercise to Wichita, Kansas to Salina, Kansas to Kansas City, Missouri and return to Ardmore, Oklahoma.

At the controls were 2nd Lt. Padrial B. Evans, pilot, and 2nd Lt. Harold R. McGahan, co-pilot. When the aircraft was approximately 35-miles south of Salina, near McPherson, Kansas, Number 2 engine began surging and the oil temperature started to rise. After several unsuccessful attempts to correct the performance of the engine, Lt. Evans and Lt. McGahan concurred that they could not maintain speed to keep up with the other aircraft. They lowered the landing gear to signal the leader that they were leaving the formation.

After aborting the formation, they feathered Number 2 engine and headed for Smoky Hill Army Air Base, Salina, approximately 35 miles north. When they were north of Salina, Number 3 engine began detonating badly with smoke coming from the top of the cowling. They reduced the throttle setting but the cylinder head temperature went to 300-degrees. Unable to correct the problem, they attempted to feather the propeller and oil began to come out freely where the smoke had been.

The propeller would not feather due to low oil pressure. Lt. Padrial had alerted the crew previously to prepare to go overboard and sounded the alarm to parachute immediately when the engine did not respond. The parachuting was underway, approximately 1410 CWT, five to eight miles north of Smoky Hill Army Air Base.

The aircraft reached Smokey Hill Army Air Base on engines Number 1 and 4 and landed without incident. They were informed shortly that seven of the eight men who parachuted had been found and were being brought by a farmer to the airfield.

Sgt. Edward M. Ragsdale, radio operator, who was last to jump, had not been found. He was observed to be adjusting his parachute harness by the last man to leave the aircraft. No one saw him jump. Attempts to locate him were hindered by darkness and his body and open parachute were not found until late the next day.

After inspection of Sgt. Ragsdale's parachute, it was the opinion of the Accident Investigation Committee that the parachute deployed and opened properly after the rip-cord had been pulled. They speculated that since he had the heavy winter flying jacket over the parachute harness and had on heavy bulky gloves, he did not get the rip cord pulled in time for the chute to open fully to break his fall to the ground. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Red River Rivalry - OU vs. UT, Oct. 2, 2010

Dallas, Texas - Ever wondered when the Red River Rivalry between OU Sooners (2010 Victory) and Texas Longhorns originated? I found this information by doing a Google search.

It gave the following statistics:
It began in 1900, while Oklahoma was still a United States territory and the Oklahoma campus was still in Oklahoma Territory.

Oklahoma Sooners (40, make that 41 with their WIN in 2010)
1905 1908 1910 1911 1912 1915 1917 1919 1933 1938 1939 1948 1949 1950 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1966 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1978 1982 1985 1986 1987 1988 1993 1996 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2007 2010.

Texas Longhorns (59)
1900 1901 (Oct. & Nov.) 1902 1903 (Nov.) 1904 1906 1907 1909 1913 1914 1916 1922 1923 1929 1930 1931 1932 1934 1935 1936 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1951 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1967 1968 1969 1970 1977 1979 1980 1981 1983 1989 1990 1991 1992 1994 1997 1998 1999 2005 2006 2008 2009.

Ties (5) 1903 (Oct.) 1937 1976 1984 1995. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

This Day In History - 4 October 1957

Soviet Union - Anyone old enough to remember the Russia Sputnik and how the Soviet Union inaugurated the Space Age?

Let me see! I would have been nine years of age. I vaguely remember talk about Sputnik in the newspapers, on the radio and grownups talking about it, but that is all. We were lucky, it seemed, to get a descent, but static, snowy picture on the little, black & white, oval TV screen back then.

The Soviet Union inaugurated the "Space Age" with its launch of Sputnik, the world's first artificial satellite. The spacecraft was named Sputnik after the Russian word for "satellite."

It was launched at 10:29 p.m. Moscow time from the Tyuratam launch base in the Kazakh Republic. Sputnik had a diameter of 22 inches, weighed 184 pounds and circled Earth once every hour and 36 minutes. Traveling at 18,000 miles an hour, its elliptical orbit had an apogee (farthest point from Earth) of 584 miles and a perigee (nearest point) of 143 miles.

Visible with binoculars before sunrise or after sunset, Sputnik transmitted radio signals back to Earth strong enough to be picked up by amateur radio operators.

Those in the United States with access to such equipment tuned in and listened in awe as the beeping Soviet spacecraft passed over America several times a day. In January 1958, Sputnik's orbit deteriorated, as expected, and the spacecraft burned up in the atmosphere. Any Amateur radio out there remembering picking Sputnik's radio signals? View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

October 5, 1947: First Presidential Speech On TV

America - On this day in 1947, President Harry Truman (1884-1972) makes the 1st-ever televised presidential address from the White House, asking Americans to cut back on their use of grain in order to help starving Europeans. At the time of Truman's food-conservation speech, Europe was still recovering from World War II and suffering from famine.

Truman, the 33rd commander in chief, worried that if the U.S. did not provide food aid, his administration's Marshall Plan for European economic recovery would fall apart. He asked farmers and distillers to reduce grain use and requested that the public voluntarily forgo meat on Tuesdays; eggs and poultry on Thursdays; and save a slice of bread each day.
The food program was short-lived, as ultimately the Marshall Plan succeeded in helping to spur economic revitalization and growth in Europe.

In 1947, television was still in its infancy and the number of TV sets in U.S. homes only numbered in the thousands (by the early 1950s, millions of Americans owned TVs); most people listened to the radio for news and entertainment.

However, although the majority of Americans missed Truman's TV debut, his speech signaled the start of a powerful and complex relationship between the White House and a medium that would have an enormous impact on the American presidency, from how candidates campaigned for the office to how presidents communicated with their constituents.

Each of Truman's subsequent White House speeches, including his 1949 inauguration address, was televised. In 1948, Truman was the first presidential candidate to broadcast a paid political ad.

Truman pioneered the White House telecast, but it was President Franklin Roosevelt who was the first president to appear on TV -- from the World's Fair in New York City on April 30, 1939. FDR's speech had an extremely limited TV audience, though, airing only on receivers at the fairgrounds and at Radio City in Manhattan. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

WWII Today In History

Italy - WWII History, 10/04/1940 -- Hitler & Mussolini met in the Alps at Brenner Pass. Hitler was seeking help from Italy to fight the British.

On a Friday, October 4, 1940, headlines in The New York Times reported, "Hitler and Mussolini meet today; Chamberlain out in British Shuffle; R.A.F. Causes Blast At Krupp Plan." The subheading stated, "The Inernational Situation."

It was another meeting at Brenner Pass between Chancellor Hitler and Premier Mussolini, which was understood to be scheduled for that day back in October.

October, 1940 @ Worldwar-2.net gives us The Most Complete World War 2 Timeline Available for October 1940.

US Vice President Charles Curtis (1929 - 1933)

Topeka, Kansas - Charles Curtis was first Native-American Indian Vice-President of provable bloodlines to be elected to the White House. You can visit his graveside memorial.

On his families website in his memorial it states the following about Charles Curtis - 31st Vice-President of the United States (1929 - 1933).

Charles Curtis was born January 25, 1860, North Topeka, Kansas; died February 8, 1936, Washington D.C.

First Native American Kansan to serve in U.S. Senate (Has record of being member of most subcommittees at one time). First to serve as U.S. Republican Senate Majority Leader. First Republican Floor Leader for U.S. Senate. First (traceable & provable) Native American as Vice-President. Only Native American Kansan as Vice-President or President. (Dwight David Eisenhower was born in Denison, Texas)

First Vice-President from West of the Mississippi. First Vice-President to take vice-presidential oath with a Bible. First Vice-President to light Whitehouse Christmas tree, 1932.

Other Timelines for Charles Curtis:

1) 1860 - Born in U.S. Kansas Territory; 2) 1865 - Mother died, father deserted him, went to live with his mother's Indian relatives on the Kaw Reservation in Morris county (Council Grove, Kansas); 3) 1868 - Went to Topeka to live with his father's parents; 4) 1870 - Attended school, working in livery stable during spare time

5) 1876 - Became a horse jockey on Kansas racetracks, was considered the best jockey of all time; 6) 1877 - Was reporter for "North Topeka Times"; 7) 1881 - Was admitted to the law bar after studying while a hack driver and later studying in an attorney's office. He worked also as a Notary Public; 8) 1884 - Elected Prosecuting Attorney of Shawnee county

9) 1884 - Married Annie Elizabeth Baird (3 children), Permelia, Harry, Leona; 10) 1886 - Re-elected to Office of Prosecuting Attorney; 11) 1892 - Elected to House of Representatives on the Republican ticket; 12) 1903 - Left House of Representatives to run for the Senate but was defeated; 13) 1907 - Elected to United States Senate

14) 1912 - Was defeated for re-election; 15) 1914 - Returned to United States Senate position by popular election.; 16) 1924 - Became 1st Republican Floor Leader of the United States Senate, was presidential hopeful; 17) 1927 - Oct. 27 : became a candidate for the Republican nomination for Vice-President

18) 1928 - Was elected Vice President (President was Herbert Hoover); 19) 1932 - Was nominated for re-election but was defeated in election; 20) 1933 - Announced retirement and establishment of residence in Washington D.C.; 21) 1936 - Died of heart attack in Washington D.C.; casket was in Topeka Capital Building rotunda lying in state for people to pass by (only person this honor has been given to) buried in Topeka Cemetery, Topeka, Kansas; 22) 1959 - He was inducted into the National Hall of Fame for Famous American Indians; Anadarko, Oklahoma View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller - GoComics

America - Some may take offense to this GoComics, but everyone needs to find something to laugh at now and then. Let their hair down; chill out and not take themselves too seriously!

Go Comics - Non Sequiur by Wiley Miller, dated October 4, 2010, says about a crowd of citizens holding a banner that reads, "Government FOR the people who hate government, BY the people who hate to govern!"

Behind the road-blocks the road blocks that profess, "Do Not Cross" - "Do Not Question" - "Turn Off Brain" - "Blah Blah Blah" and one that should also be included ("Vote NO on everything") is holding spectators at a distance. The man saying to his lady friend, "Remember how you used to scoff at my theory that stupidity is contagious?"

Loved the saw horse sign quotes!

non se. qui.tur - noun, The use of non sequitur in humor can be deliberate or unintentional. Literally, the expressionis Latin for "it does not follow." It comes from the words "non" meaning not, and the deponant verb sequor, sequi, secutus sum, meaning to follow. In other literature, a non sequitur can denote an abrupt, illogical, unexpected or absurd turn of plot or dialogue not normally associated with or appropriate to that preceding it. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe