Post #125

This is my 125th post on "The Battle I Love" and it will be my last. This blog has served me well for several years but now it is time to make a change and move in a different direction. I have enjoyed sharing my life with you and I hope you all enjoyed the ride.

Now we sing farewell

The Pirate Song
(Namesake of this blog)

To the mast nail our flag it is dark as the grave,
Or the death which it bears while it sweeps o'er the wave;
Let our deck clear for action, our guns be prepared;
Be the boarding-axe sharpened, the scimetar bared:
Set the canisters ready, and then bring to me,
For the last of my duties, the powder-room key.

It shall never be lowered, the black flag we bear;
If the sea be denied us, we sweep through the air.
Unshared have we left our last victory's prey;
It is mine to divide it, and yours to obey:
There are shawls that might suit a sultana's white neck,
And pearls that are fair as the arms they will deck.

There are flasks which, unseal them, the air will disclose
Diametta's fair summers, the home of the rose.
I claim not a portion: I ask but as mine
'Tis to drink to our victory - one cup of red wine.
Some fight, 'tis for riches - some fight, 'tis for fame:
The first I despise, and the last is a name.

I fight, 'tis for vengeance! I love to see flow,
At the stroke of my sabre, the life of my foe.
I strike for the memory of long-vanished years;
I only shed blood where another shed tears,
I come, as the lightning comes red from above,
O'er the race that I loathe, to the battle I love.

Fight on Friends!

Lily and Clark (a Lewis and Clark style adventure) featuring Sadiejawea

Wow! What a weekend. I ran the gamut of emotions, from relaxation, to frustration, to excitement, to anger, to relief and joy. Most of that was all thanks to my beloved football teams.

Alabama escaped a close one thanks to 2 blocked field goals, one occurring as time ran out. Bama defeats Tennessee 12-10. As we used to say at Northwestern state, ant win is a (Sam) Goodwin.

The New Orleans Saints are FOR REAL! But Sunday looked to be a remnant of the "aints" glory days of the past. in the second quarter the Saints trailed the Dolphins 24-3. But they never quit, for its "The Battle They Love"(a shameless plug for the old blog). The Saints fought back and overtook the Dolphins 46-34 in one of the greatest comebacks in team history, and who knew that Drew Brees could dunk? I do believe this is the year. I get the feeling we will be playing one more game in Miami this year (for those who don't keep up with the NFL, the Super Bowl is in Miami this year).

As nice as those two victories were, the highlight of the weekend came far far away from any football field or television set. The highlight of the weekend took place way out in the woods on the Louisiana/Mississippi border.

The 1st exploratory expedition of Sadie and Lily into the woods of the American south took place on Saturday morning. The expedition began as we load the Jeep, which has been nicknamed "the Sack", which fits perfectly in this story. Kelley suggested I call the jeep Betsy Ross as it is a Jeep Liberty Sport and Betsy represents liberty to many (particularly women). However, I thought the name was a little lengthy and thought calling the jeep Sacajawea would be more appropriate as she travelled with Lewis and Clark's expedition across the American west after the Louisiana purchase in the early 1800's. But, Sacajawea is lengthy as well, thus the name "The Sack" was born. It's also nice because I get to say things like, "hey baby, wanna take a ride in the Sack?" Pimp, I know.

So my fuzzy explorers and I head north from capital city to Clark Creek Natural Area which is located on the MS/LA border, about 55 miles north of the house. When I put it in the GPS a message popped up to alert me that the route would take me on unpaved roads and asked me if I wanted it to re plan a route the used only paved roads. Whats the point of 4 wheel drive if you ain't gonna use it. So away we went. We were on an unpaved road only for about 2.5 miles. But, the point is, we fear no road paved or otherwise.


This was Sadie and Lily's first time out on the trail so i was a bit concerned about how they would act. Would they run off never to be seen again? Would they cower by my feet? The result is exactly what I hoped for. The stayed near but often ran ahead or ran into the woods chasing critters and smelling all there is to smell(and there's a lot to smell). they chased each other. Often, the would run over the crest of a hill, disappear for a minute, then come running back over the hill full of excitement as if they hadn't seen me in a week.



We spent about 2 hours hiking. As it turns out, Lily is an off road machine, jumping on and off of boulders, leaping fallen trees, wading, or jumping into, deep parts of the creek. Meanwhile, Sadie was a bit more hesitant. Though very athletic and agile, she is a bit more cautious and deliberate when choosing a way around or over obstacles.

It was a beautiful morning. We arrived around 9am and it was in the low to mid sixties, clear skies and a nice breeze. The weather was perfect and the leaves had begun to change colors. Very beautiful.

Clark creek has 6-7 waterfalls. I was a little nervous when approaching the falls from above(i get that from my mom, stop holding my shirt) but from the bottom we went all the way under falls #5.

We were all alone on the trip in to the woods, didn't see a soul. Had the entire place to ourselves. That's one reason i want ed to go early, i figured most people would get out there closer to lunch time. On the way out of the woods we began to see people. 1st we scared a man and a lady, I don't think the lady liked dogs and the barking didn't help. Then we passed a Boy Scout troop(in think troop 348) from Slidell. All the boys wanted to pet Sadie, Lily would have none of it. Then we met Jake, a large, thick frame boxer and the two ladies he was with. I think Lily liked Jake, which is rare. Sadie was more interested in having the people pet her. We passed a couple more families before reaching "the sack". We loaded up and headed home, as it was getting close to kickoff time for the bama/Tn game. The mighty explorers had conquered Clark Creek, Lewis was nowhere to be found. The conquistadors of dogdom slept all the way home and for most of the rest of the day.

I am glad we went. These dogs are awesome. Even more so, it was nice to get outside and get some fresh air, to feel the dirt up under my feet. It was nice to not be bombarded by city noise and the feeling that there is always someone there. It was nice to be able to think uninterrupted and to go for intervals without thinking at all. It was nice to walk around with a clear head and the headache i had for 3 days before vanished(only to return Sunday night while doing lesson plans). It was great to watch the dogs run and play. I know they are dogs, but i get a joy out of watching them run, jump, romp, and chase things or each other. Very few things make me smile as much as Sadie's ears and jowls flopping when she runs.

It was quite an adventure for the wolf pack 3. I can't wait to do it again.

It's good to be the King!

The Saints are 5-0 and just kicked the crap out of the Giants. Our defensive backs did NOT get beat by the long ball. we actually ran the ball and created turnovers. we opened holes and protected Brees.



Alabama ran the ball all over the old ball coach and is playing dominate defense. Ranked #2 in the BCS and # 1 in the AP. Sophomore Mark Ingram, 24 carries, 246 yards. Dominance.



LSU is in turmoil, the natives are restless. The masses are calling for Les Miles' head.

It's good to be me today.

I'm Prepared to Handle Lifes Bumpy Roads

I bought a Jeep today. Sorry the picture quality isn't great but I took it with my phone(wouldn't Alexander Graham Bell be proud).

The Jeep is a 2008. Excellent condition. 4x4. And at a great price. Its hard to tell in this picture but it is a dark metallic blue. I am super excited. I know what you are thinking, "but Scott, what about your beloved Malibu"? She will be missed. But we must press ever onward. The Bu lived a long and reliable life. She will always have a soft spot in my heart. But her time has passed and I must now put her out to pasture to graze with others that have paid their dues.

I look forward to many miles and many adventures in the Jeep. I look forward to many trips to the dog park and levee in the Jeep. I look forward to cleaning Sadie's drool off the pristine windows for years to come.

At any rate, I bought a new car today. Hopefully it'll get me where I'm going. If only I knew where that was.

CleVelaNd RocKs

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend. I am excited because one of my podnas came to town from Florida this weekend. We, along with the room-dog rolled down to New Orleans last night to see one of our friends whom is in a band based of Atlanta. The band is called "All the Saints". They play a pshycadellic metal sound like a cross between early Black Sabbath and Hendrix but with vocals that are hard to hear. The show was good and it was fun to hang out with the rockstar. The band has a show in Dallas tonight so we let them crash here at the house and use the facilites. If they get really big I'll be super cool for letting them stay here. Today, My Podna, room-dog, and I have been watching football non-stop. We have used many choice words and have threatened to dismantle the tv, but, Bama won the game so the tv lives to see another day.

Last weekend I took a trip to Cleveland. I have never been there and have always assumed that it was an ugly town. I was wrong. It was actually vert pretty. Hilly and the leaves were changing. Their was a nice coolness in the air, stayed in the 60's.

I never actually made it to Cleveland but spent my time on the outskirts of the city. I got to visit several of the small towns around Cleveland and have become a big fan of a small town calles Peninsula. Very quaint, on the shores of the Cuyahoga river. Very picturesque.

One thing I really liked is that there are a lot state parks around Cleveland. In fact, they call it the emerald necklace because the parks surround the city. I had the oppurtunity to spend some time in the parks and absolutuely loved it. Now, I'm not saying that I'm ready to move yet (after all, I've never been there in the winter)but the thought did cross my mind while I was there.

Here is a picture of Brandywine Falls, Southeast of Cleveland. it is a very pretty place. If you ever make it to Cleveland check it out.




I hope to visit more places in this great nation soon. Cleveland was a great place and there is so much I didn't get to see. I think I will make a rturn trip soon.

To make a long story short, Cleveland Rocks!!!!!!!

Teaching the Law?

This year I am happy to be teaching American history. I absolutely love it. But, I also find myself teaching a constitutional law class. I like this class as well. The class focuses on court cases related mainly to the 1st amendment and towards cases affecting teens. The students are great and I am lucky to have 3 law students from one of the local universities who do most of the teaching.

The law students found us some local attorney's that were willing to come speak to the class. I like speakers. Well, I usually like speakers. The speakers we had yesterday and today have me confused.

The goal was to have the speakers talk about what they do and talk about how they help protect their clients rights(as we deal mainly with issues affecting peoples rights in our class). But, that's not exactly how the conversations have gone. For the last 2 days I have been listening to these local attorneys explain to the class how to beat the law, or have the best chance of beating the law, faced with a drinking and driving or drug possession charge.

Now, I will give them credit that they are talking about the rights of the accused but I'm not pleased with the the fact that we are teaching the kids how to beat the system. Of course, the kids are all interested, awake, and engaged.

Listening to these speakers makes me like attorneys a little less. It makes me feel like lawyers are less intersted in upholding the law and are more interested in defeating the law.

I'm aggravated by this, but at least I know how to beat the charges now.

Hit the road Jack-O-Lantern

this is the pumpkin that i carved this past weekend. I'm no Leonardo or Donatello, but I think It'll do.