.....Once more looking back at John Henry, as he & his family make their journey West....

            When John Henry and his family started their trip West, it was plagued with many misfortunes. First encountering those Mountain men that killed Lilly's husband, and Henry taking care of them, so that Lilly could live and move on with her life...now with Henry and his mother and father. They managed to cross the mighty rivers that separated the East from the West, and now faced their most difficult challenge.....crossing the wide open Desert Plains....

        Getting to the Plains, where they met up with a wagon train heading West. The lead wagon comprised of husband and wife with two young children, a boy about eight and a girl about the same age as Lilly. The rest of the wagon train consisted of three more families. All having a wife and husband, and a mix of children ranging from a year old to Henry's age, which was about seventeen at the time.
        Henry's parent's became close to the lead family quickly, since they had more in common than with the rest. The lead family was more acquainted with this way making it out this far once before, as did Henry's father when he made past trips exploring the best route West.
         Soon they were on the move, slowly so that everyone got into a certain pace which was need to control all the wagons, as they moved closer to the plains, they wanted to make sure everyone was close and stuck to the Trail.

       Henry's family and the McKlintock's, those being the lead wagon of the Train, moved steady into the vast unknown of the Desert Plains, and soon it was clear who the stronger wagon families were. It was into the second day that they realized that they would have to separate themselves from the other three families, and move ahead of them knowing that they were not going to keep up the pace, that was needed to get through this wasteland with the supplies that they had with them.
          The other families understood and said they would either turn back or with any luck a bigger wagon train would come through, that had more supplies to help them get by.
       
      Now in unknown territories, where the dust blew hard during the day, and the cold set in at night, the two families forged ahead into a land that held many mysteries from other frontiersmen who had made it through and were able to talk about it. The one most worrisome was the stories of Indians that had no mercy on the 'White Man' that tries to take their land.
      There were gruesome tales of how the Indians would attack at night and drag the members of the Train back to their tribe and dismember the men, Rape and torture  the women, then take the young girls for Squaws, and raise them in the tribe. 
      Soon the two families came across evidence of this along the way, making it harder to focus and keep the pace which they needed to do with only three more days of rations, and five more days they thought that they needed to get to safety on the plush and safe side of the Plains........

Under the Petrie Dish with myself, lizards, and a girl named Marley.....

           First of all I would like to disavow any connection with other named 'Lizards'. The first being the Lizard Squad, which has been connected to the computer Hacks of Play Station and Sony. I can do this in full confident since I'm no Hacker, even if some of you think what I write is a 'Hack-job'. Also I don't have the skills to perform such mind sets, with the little knowledge that I do have with this 'machine'..... also may pertain to my blog.
         The other is Lizard Juice, which is the contents to which you fill your 'E-cigarette' . I may indulge in some 'Juice' of sorts, but would not have my name associated to that particular brand! 
      So there you have it, a few things I needed to get straight for the new year......now as far as the other things that concern me....

      It's been over 20 years since I was involved in a particular move that I was asked to help with. I was asked if I could get my younger daughter Cher Love out to Everett Washington, near Seattle, so that my other daughter could set her up with some living conditions, and that she may have the medical benefits that they offer to their residents. Tiffany, my oldest was there already, when she found out that Cher was pregnant. I was to be a Grandfather for the first time!
     
     In order to get a flight out, I had to ask a dear friend of mind if she could help out. Without a second thought, she handed me her credit card and told me to do what ever I had to, and to get my daughter on the Plane to a destination new to all of us, and now only a distant memory to one of my most memorable times in my life, thanks solely on a most generous and loving person as my...our...friend Ty.

      It wasn't until 10 or 11 years later that I got to meet the most wonderful of young girls, that I hadn't had a chance to do since the trip to Seattle. We hit it off right away, seamlessly going from one conversation to another, just as though we had been friends forever, and that she was much older in mind, than the Eleven years that she was on this Earth.

     Now in three days Marley Love will turn Twenty, and I made a terrible mistake a while back by trying to explain something only an old beat up Hippie would think it to be helpful in the coming years....I don't have that easy talking way with her now and have many regrets in the way I handled it. I can only hope with this new year upon us, that she will see my faults of being what I thought I was suppose to be..... Happy Birthday Marley....

     Now getting back to my past year. I spent more time in the Hospital than any other time that I could have imagined. First it was those dag-nabbed Blood Clots in my lungs. Then in between that and my next stay, was of course the Damn Sciatica, which can really slow ya down, especially in the heat this Summer. So  then came another strange bout with a visit to the Hospital once again.
      I went to the Emergency room with a pain in my Ass...no I'm not talking about Karl. This was to be  'best for last' kinda situation, where if I hadn't been 'dragged' to the Hospital, something more drastic would have occurred. 
     Well a visit to my Doctor after I got out, had told me I 'Dodged' anther 'Bullet'....meaning the first one was the Clots. O.K good news bad news...good news I('m still here to tell about it..the bad, well I hope the bad is behind me...pardon the Pun...and that if the bad news is that things run in threes, than the third one happens back in the '60's..or the '70's...or the '80's, and possibly the '90's..! So I think I'm covered, I'm just glad I can be around for my Grandaughter's Birthday, and then of course everyone else that I love seeing here and in August.

     So I say to my Doctor.." what am I some specimen on a huge dish, for who knows what or 'who' is looking at me..?!"
 
      I guess time will tell and if I have anything to say about it you'll get it here on my blog, the one with the true Lizards Tale....

....back on the Trail with John Henry and Jack Long.....

                    After over an hour digging and yankin' at Grover, who was buried up to his neck by some Comanches who didn't care for him & Edmond Pierce passing though their land...would of taken a lot less time if this big old Negro was a bit smaller. Then out of the blue he came up with his 10 inch Bowie Knife,  that he some how concealed from those Indians. Henry was just a soon get down the trail, but now with Grover free we had an extra hand when we found some work. Grover didn't have much to say on the subject, since this was the second time we saved his big Black Ass.....

        We packed up the next day and headed South, our original route before we got distracted with Grover. But none the less we were still in good shape. Now coming to a river bed to water the horses, out of the blue Grover declares he has to go after Pierce so that he can get the money and some important belongings that he got away with. This set me back a bit, along with Henry coming up quick behind him ready to put him face down with the fishes. I got Henry calmed down, along with myself who was wondering how he thought it all right to leave on his own, when we just agreed that he would stay on until the next job was done. 
       Grover was no dummy, even along with his mishaps that weren't all together his fault. It just might of been our fault for getting him out of those jams. But all things considered you couldn't help liking the guy, after all his six foot six inch frame that took up a large door way, I gave him a chance to explain why we should let him out of our sights, which to tell ya the truth, he could be a mile down the trail and we could still see him. 
      Well he made us a counter offer. If we came with him, he could make it worth our trouble, not liking to use that term right here, but how much 'trouble' could we get into with a guy as big as Horse standing up.
       He preceded to explain the reason that he even wondered why he got back with Pierce. When we got him out of that jam in that one horse town of Cody Wyoming. He said he headed back east, but not to get in touch with Pierce, but to make sure his family was all right, with the word of some War might take place, mostly in the South. He said he was about half way there, when he came upon a Wagon Train, heading West with the hoard of good intentioned Easterners trying to fine a new life.
       Of course he told us he had no intentions of hooking up with them, until he got to the last wagon, and who should he have seen but Mr. Edmond Pierce himself! He couldn't believe his eyes! 
       After settling in for the night , Piece had a chance to explain to Grover how he decided to join this set of Wagons on their next trip West. He told them that the Ship building business hadn't gone on to his expectations, and when another wealthy Englishman offered to buy the business. He took that as a sign for new adventures, with no knowledge of course of how the Shipping business would flourish in the coming years.
        
       Now Pierce was telling Grover of the Idea that Gold had been discovered out West, and that there was still time to get in on the spoils. He offered Grover a chance in a life time to go with him, and be not just his protection, but would split everything fifty-fifty, no matter who discovered it first.
      Pierce enticed him with  a large nugget that the man that bought his business and gave to him as part payment.The man told him that there was much more to be had, And he had gotten enough to come back and start something that he always has loved growing up on the coast of England.
       Edmond continued to explain to Grover that they could be rich, and told him he would give him an advance worthy of his help. Grover said he would sleep on it, and let him know in the morning.
      The next morning came and the rest is the fact  that he took his offer, and also taking that handsome advance that Pierce convinced him that he would keep it safe. That was the last time that Grover had laid his eyes on such a large  amount of money, and now wants us to go with him to get back what is rightfully his! 

      I looked right at him straight in the eyes, Grover nodded, I did back to him, and then at Henry to get an O.K. Henry just dropped his head, shook it once then mumbled something like  'oh, what the Hell' and turn and mounted Butter Cup, started out, turned around and yelled back 'well are ya coming or not...?!!'

     All in all, it didn't sound like such a bad deal since we were looking for work as well...and how much trouble could we get into going West with the three of us well seasoned to trouble as it were.....

     





 
       
      

...Back on the Trail out West with Henry & Jack, up to their neck with Grover...and more...

   

          I should clarify that as Grover being up to his neck, buried in the sand from some Comanche's that didn't take to him or his boss, Edmond Pierce , who were traveling to California, from Boston where Pierce owned a ship building company. Grover, a quite large black man, worked for him, but left on his own to discover on his own what the West might bring him since the south was out of the question. Jack and Henry had saved him once before from a dubious situation in a small town they stumbled upon while making their way back to Colorado for more work. Now they find him in another situation, brought on by him hooking back up with Pierce on his quest for fortune and fame. 
      They got as far as a little North of Colorado, in the foothills of Wyoming when they were attacked by a tribe of Comanche's, taking all their supplies and then burying Grover up to his neck, since they have never seen such a Black man, and were superstitious and didn't think it wise to kill him quickly. Edmond Pierce, for some reason was able to escape through their confusion with dealing with Grover.

      Coming through the thicket, trying to find a good place to camp for the night, Henry and I spotted something we never expected to ever see in our lifetimes. there was a head in the ground! Coming closer we could see it was Grover! We had last seen him after we were able to get him away from what could have been a terrible  mess between him and  angry mob. The next day we headed South, and at a split in the trail, Grover bid us farewell, saying he was heading back East. 
      Now here we are saving his ass again, which certainly would have ended in his death. I began digging around his neck slowly at first, then thought better to go a little faster just to make sure he'd be able to live through this. Henry took care of the horse's, and began to get started making camp. Soon he had some coffee, and settled in on an old stump to watch the progress with me and Grover. I didn't say any thing, knowing he just doesn't like to get envoled  in any other situations that don't directly concern him. I was fine with that even if Grover found it particularly peculiar.
      
     I think it brought him back to when he and his family were making the trip out here, and the time they got to the Mississippi where they had made camp and Henry went out for some food and returned with a young girl, who he had just saved from a horrible encounter with four Mountain men. They had just killed her young husband, when Henry spotted them in the firelight. Henry waited his chance when they got separated, he then eliminated the problem, which led him no choice but to bring the girl back with him to camp. His parents surprised at his return with what was suppose to be a hunt for food, instead arrives with her and some food from what she and her husband had.
    The next day with all of what happened, behind them, and a fresh start to go upstream to the Barge that would take them across the River and start the journey West.

       Once they got to the other side, everything seemed like it was back to normal, under the circumstances. The girl was named Lilly, and was from Connecticut. Her and her husband both dreamed of a better life out West, after hearing about it from families that had relatives that made the trip. They were the lucky ones, so it didn't sound so bad when they told of the open Prairies, just begging to have a large ranch built there, for a large family and all the livestock that you could handle.
      Lilly soon fit in helping out and what had happened soon became a distant memory. Henry was quite content with their new 'Family'. He was about the same age as Lilly, so they got along well.  
      It wasn't too long before they came upon the Great Plains Desert. They had to make the choice of when and who should cross it. At times only part of the Party would go, but that was when it was with a Wagon Train. This was as far as Henry's father made it when he first went out to scout what the journey would entail. They made camp, good enough for a long stay, hoping for a sign to lead them further. It came the next day, when a small Wagon Train pulled up to their camp, and asked....'How far ya all going..?'


      We'll see next time how far and how well they'll make it over the roughest part of their trip and find out what is in store for them.


 
      

....Why Lizards, and how there became part of my Life...

                
         I've been here in Florida now for the past ten years, and it still amazes me of how some things are so different here. The obvious of course is the weather, then there's the flat landscape& the roads that crisscross it since it's so much easier to do with this type of landscape. 
       Why then is it so hard to get a Rail System build on this near perfect setting....? Also why is there not a system in place, where solar energy is the dominate source  ALL the electricity in this..the 'Sunshine State'...?!  Well I think we all know the answer to that one. But I'm not here to discuss politics, not even after the disastrous results of this last election, where anything over 50% is not the majority  and we have to have more than 60% to win over the amendment. Again I'm not here to discuss politics, especially when I haven't registers yet...as an Independent. Surely not a Republican .  So no I didn't Vote, but would have been even more pissed off if I did..so I can't win for trying. 
        I just finished an article that went over the fact that 'things' happen for a reason, good or bad, so I'm going to suggest that not only Florida will come out of this mess, someday...but those Fat-cat Republicans will meet their justified ends.

      Now as I was saying before I got rudely interrupted by Politics, I was going to mention how it came to be the title of my blog..watchinglizardsonthewall.blogspot.com  Well before I moved here I lived at a house where I had my own room & access to the outer back porch. I had my desk set up facing the brick wall that was the surface for the outside wall of the house. Well before I knew it there were these friendly little Lizards crawling all over it and around the whole surrounding area. It gave me quite pause to stop and observe them in their natural habitat. It also gave me the time to think things over in my head. Some just silly thoughts and some serious revelations......I decided to try and capture both in writing them down..! 
       ........... A blog was born.........
  
     This is an article I found in the paper today, and thought I should share it with everyone so that maybe it would help in understanding my role here in my new home.....then again I know most of you know me well enough to understand how I got a little more.......  'Off the Wall'.................

        Faced with competition from an invading species, a type of Lizards in Florida took just 20 generations...about 15 years...to evolve feet better to climb trees, a new studies says.
     Biologists have long believed that evolution could occur rapidly among some species facing sudden, intense competition. In 1995, as part of an unrelated study, researchers introduced a foreign species of brown anole Lizards to three islands off the coast of Florida that were already green anole Lizards. Were know to move to higher perches after an invasion of brown ones.
     To test the rapid-evolution theory, researchers returned to the island 15 years later and examined the feet of the green Lizards......which had as predicted, relocated to higher perches. they had found that the Lizards had developed larger and stickier toe pads, a characteristic not shared by green Lizards on nearby island that had not been populated with brown Lizards.
       The ability to evolve rapidly could be a boon to species threatened with climate change, suggested the researchers, who published their study in the journal 'Science'. Other species that have shown an ability to do so include Darwin's finches in the Galapagos islands, which evolved smaller beaks just 22 years after the arrival of a competitive species, according to a Princeton study from 2006.
                        ..article by Douglas Quenqua,  New York Times...

 

.....still adding a few things from my past Journal....

 

                            Sometimes it's good to wonder and dream
                   to drift and escape....
                   but time has it being out of the real world,
                   can distress you...
                   even more greatly when you return....

                                                   Friday, November 30th 1973

          Well I thought that things would clear up after I talked with Dave, and they have! But what Hell broke loose doing it. I still can't believe that I was at the Apartment, trying to harm Meri, or at least making a good show of it. The events leading up to it that evening, were many.
         First, I had too much to drink and smoke...we both did...Dave and I...then after leaving the apartments, we dropped in on Meri at a party at Cathy's. Some surprise...! I met all of Meri's friends, and thought things were going well, Meri was a little pissed...we started to get heavy into the conversation, as the rest of the night dragged on until it was time to go, and we were 'flying' high.
         I had to wait at the apartment, as soon as they drove in and
went upstairs, it wasn't me who took over my body, because I new he wasn't going to stay, I didn't even give him a chance to leave!
         The rest is past and over, but as I feel everything happens to find the true meaning, as this did to release the other person in side of me , called Jealousy....
         
         It is now a new day and I have already talked to Meri this morning...I feel good as I hope she does too, with the past left behind and a bright future ahead of us......

                                               Tuesday, December 18th 1973

        I am running out of time and my mind is filled with things that I can't get done right away, at least I have a place where I can work. But now it is a cold place where other things must be done. One thing that I must do is to try and  write Meri.....
       Things seem to be confusing now with all this unfinished business before Christmas, and finances are low....I must stop and write Meri....

                                                Monday, December 24th 1973
      
         Can a man, or a women, become  a part of fantasy and still keep his well being of life in the back of his head so that he doesn't loose reality completely! Even to a point of drifting back and forth not knowing the middle or even which side is the 'Real' or which may be the 'Dream'...?!

                                               Tuesday, January 3rd 1974

         Things are happening too fast! I only hope that I'll be able to withstand anymore grim responsibility. The pressure sometimes gets unbearable and I do break down almost at any moment! But today is bright and clear, with hopes that this is the sign for well being. I did Pray to Him last night, this might be his answer to me...I can only hope.
        Yesterday Dad had his operation, and the Doctors said it looks bad. He said he'd know by Thursday morning....so I think I will leave this until then.....

                                               Wednesday, January 31st 1974

       Tomorrow is the first of February and I have past January right  by! I guess it is because the month fell short of my high expectations that I had hoped it would bring when I was in December. But now with a new month, and a breath of Spring, I may now bring back some of January on these pages when I am able to sit quietly and warm.....

                                                Friday, June 2nd 1974

       It has past into June, and not a mention of the past six months.
I hope to bring back some of those months later on, but for now, within two weeks,  the future and on, are more unreal and stimulating than what brought me as far down as possible in those past six months.
       What will this new 'Freedom' bring me, if I can even call it that, for I am using the term freely lately, and that I am justified in doing so! I do need it so bad, that it almost puts my thinking process to such a strain, that the 'new real life', is more scary than the 'old'....

            
        As many of you might have gathered, this was from my personal journal from the time I was getting a divorce, while also finding out that my father had Cancer. That last entry was a month or so after he died on April 24th 1974. From which I took  that date and circumstances, and used it to have my 1st Warren Woods Music Festival on May 24th 1975......and dedicated it to him, along with the Cancer Society...hence the name - 'Alive in '75 Lake Country Green..'  The ones that followed were all on the 24th of that month that they were on...August, then.. July the following year.
              
   
                      
    

.....a T.V. review...

         I was about to put this on the front 'News Page' on fb, under the 'What's on Your Mind' ...but decided I'd keep it around for a bit.
        So I was having my morning coffee, and doing my morning routine, reading the daily paper, and listening to some good 'ole classics. When I came across the article about Mama June's new guy friend she's been seeing while separated from her husband. I first heard about it on T.V. last night while watching a unique entertainment trash show. Then when I saw it in the paper, I thought to myself....self...is this really necessary ? Well apparently it is since the man she's dating is a convicted child molester!
     Well don't ya know they canceled the 'Honey Boo Boo Show'...really..?!! After an agonizing four years about hearing of this show, and of course never watched it....that's  what it took to get this piece of trash off the air...?!!
     On a similar  note, why is the 'Biggest Loser' still on..?!! I can't understand how people can watch Blobber bounce around for an hour.  O.K. you're probable saying to yourself : " hey you're kinda on the heavy side.."  Well yes, but I'd rather say: " large frame", or "heavy-set",and/or, 'Big "Boned"....but these people.?! I'm not trying  to knock them, but is it really worth a prime time show on National T.V...?!!  Well yes, I would love to shed some pounds, but I would not display it T.V.......O.K....on fb, yes, but that's another story.
     Speaking of another Story, the 'Two Broke Girls'..really..?!!
How did that make it another season....and using Kim Kardasian for better ratings..?!!
    Last but not least, 'Two and a Half Men'...I think we can all give a sigh of relief that it's finally gonna be put out of it's misery at the end of this season. Yes Charlie Sheen was the one holding that show together. You can still see him on MOR Ch. 9 at night, and doing what he does best  : 'Anger Management'....

      Just something to get off my ...'Large'.....Chest, let me know what you think...