Merry Christmas from the Slone Players

And now, Slone's version of "It's A Wonderful Life"

http://www.jibjab.com/sendables/view/D5tXiYl3RH30Ic4igUIItWow

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Well, it's that time of the year again. Time to max out the credit cards, worry about finding just the right gift, and stay up all night wrapping those last minute presents! It's also time for Archie and me and a few others, to toss on our cowboy duds and hang out at Cobb ranch being cowboy ornaments. We're there to add flavor to the western Christmas theme that is offered. We have shoot outs and interact with the customers. This year I am bringing my horse, Suzie, to the show. I was worried that Archie wouldn't like be "on the ground" alone without his daddy there with him, but after the first day, that worry disappeared! It seems that Archie has become quite the ladies man (much in this old man's foot steps!!) and I was more or less, cramping his style by hanging out with him anyway! He's been the main attraction of the 14-17 year old girls that come with their parents to get their Christmas trees.

In a way it's hard for me to handle, but I can't stop him from growing up and I'm sure these memories of the few years that he has time to play cowboy with me will end up meaning the world to both of us when he comes to visit me in the old folks home!

Suzie has been a great surprise to me while we're out there. She's never been around gunfire (we shoot real single action guns with blanks) but after the initial jump on the first shot, she doesn't seem to mind it much. In fact she "gets into her part" and thinks she's Sliver or Trigger or some other other movie horse and wants to chase down those bad guys! She and I have bonded even more doing this together.

She will stand like a statue when kids of all ages come over asking if they can pet "The Santa Horse". Kids stick their fingers in her nose, run up behind her and do all the things their not suppose to do but she never moves. Can't think of a much better way to spend an afternoon than ridding my wonder horse!

All in all, it's been another good Christmas at the ranch.....so far!!

Veterans Day in Fresno

Today, Archie and Tyler were participants in the Veterans Day parade. Fresno boasts the largest Veterans Day parade in the USA. The boys are both in the R.O.T.C. and marched with the high school in todays parade.
As the parade started, the sky's above Fresno were filled with fireworks at exactly 11:11AM to honor the ending of WWI, which was official at 11 AM on Nov 11th. As the United States armed forces made their way down the street towards us, my eyes welled and my heart swelled. As Old Glory passed by with the Fresno State Band playing "His Truth is Marching On" (I think thats the title of the song) and "As The Caison's Go Rolling Along" (again I hope that's the title), I had a lump in my throat. I just don't believe that you can say "thank you" enough to these people who have made this sacrifice for our country. As the WWII Pearl Harbor survivor's passed by, I noticed that there were less than there was last year. Sadly, members of the "greatest generation" are passing away every year but those that were there here were great! The P.O.W.'s, the Purple Heart recipients, and even the group of Civil War soldiers, made me proud to be an American!

To all American Veterans, my family and I say a heart felt THANK YOU!

All Gave Some, Some Gave All. God Bless the U.S.A.