The Tactical Bottle Opener: Spyderco ClipiTool Standard

[Mad Mac]

Hungry cows want their hay and we had been putting out round bales for about a month when I realized I had clipped in my Standard and left my "hay knife", a serrated Tenacious, at home. To my surprise the plain edge Standard slashed through the netting without difficulty. It is now promoted to hay knife. Evidently, hay and netting tends to clog up serrated teeth. A plain edge seems to work better. Who would have thunk it.


Spyderco ClipiTool Standard and net-wrapped round bale of hay

[bearrowland]

Not me! I'd of thought SE would have been better.

[Mad Mac]

With more than 66,000 reviews this cleverly named English India Pale Ale scored 3.7 out of 5 on UNTAPPD.com.
That does not sound like much, but no English IPA scored a 4 or better. Tough crowd.


Spyderco ClipiTool Standard and Fulton Beer Sweet Child of Vine

[bearrowland]

Tough indeed!

[Mad Mac]

In 1927, the Armadillo became the official state mammal of Texas.
It's a strange critter. They give birth to quadruplets,
they prefer the same temperature, 76 degrees, as a naked human being
and they are the only other mammal that can have leprosy.
This Houston brewery has a beer in honor of it.


Spyderco ClipiTool Standard and Karbach Brewing Co. Hopadillo IPA

[Mad Mac]

This does not have much to do with beer, though I did drink an extra one that night. February 17, I had to put down our last longhorn. The saddest duty in ranching is a monstrous act of mercy. Shooting a downed cow to put it out of its misery before buzzards begin their gruesome job while she is still alive. The one that day was especially poignant. She was the first and the last of our three longhorns purchased as pasture ornaments.

A cull at the auction, her pedigree was By Truck out of Crockett. My Dad bought her in 2005 for a mere $265, just for her horns which had the Texas Twist. She was probably about ten years old then and so skinny I named her the Sandwich Longhorn. She only had enough meat on her to make one sandwich.

Our rough old cows pushed her around until she got some flesh on her and she figured out that she had horns and they did not. After that, the little longhorn became a leader, a bell cow albeit without a bell. That was 15 years ago. She had a calf every year except 2016, 2018 and 2019 then surprised us in January with yet one more calf.



We were in the process of building a brush pile to burn when my ranch hand spotted her down in some thick yaupon. For years I had planned on having her horns mounted in a skull mount and now mulled over whether to shoot her in the head like we normally do. That would leave a bullet hole in the mount, but I decided that would be part of her story. I stuck a shovel in the ground about ten yards from her and used it to steady my hold on the .270. Her head dropped straight down then listed over onto one horn.

The Mahindra tractor dragged her out in the open. The Wicked grapple lifted her with a chain around those horns to a convenient height where I used my Spyderco ClipiTool Standard to sever her noble head. Then gently laid her body on top of what would now be her funeral pyre. No coyotes or vultures would desecrate her.

The famous Sportsman's Memory Shop agreed to do the honors. They are not great horns, but they will be an enduring reminder of part of our family history.

Rest in Peace, Sandwich Longhorn.

[bearrowland]

She was a real beauty! That's a gorgeous mount.

[Mad Mac]

A year ago a hailstorm damaged my siding and roof. No leaks so I waited for others who were worse off to get repaired and for the carpetbaggers to leave. Now we have had one of the wettest winters in more than 140 years. A local builder four man crew finally started construction last week. They work very hard and I provide beer after they quit at five. One man from Vera Cruz preferred Modelo, a "model" pilsner.


Spyderco ClipiTool Standard and Modelo Especial

[Mad Mac]

Brookshire Brothers ran out of Modelo. This beer has some heat to it.
Work continues on the siding.


Spyderco ClipiTool Standard and Dos Equis Mexican Pale Ale

[bearrowland]

[Mad Mac]

The siding project is moving right along. I am blessed to have inherited this house from my parents.
The footed pilsner glass was in the back of a china cabinet. Judging from the bamboo motif,
it was probably acquired on our second tour in Japan in the mid 1950s. But I digress

Here we have a fruity, keto-friendly light lager.


Spyderco ClipiTool Standard and Michelob Ultra Infusions

[bearrowland]

That looks great!

[Mad Mac]

Living as a recluse on a ranch in far west deep east Texas, watching the news is like watching a dystopian movie.
Everything seems normal here except for not being able to sit in the local cafe. Stay well my friends.

My contractors are being spoiled. Cans of Keystone do not seem appropriate. The selection for today is organic beer.
That got me scratching my head. Wouldn't all beer be organic? After all, it is made from grains, barley, wheat, rye, yeast, malts and hops. This from foodrepublic.com:

A beer can be called “organic” if it meets the following federal guidelines: At least 95 percent of its ingredients are organically produced (e.g., no GMOs, synthetic fertilizers, pesticides). The brewery must prove that the remaining ingredients were not available in sufficient quantities or qualities in organic form.

Evidently, I do not actually like beer. I like genetically modified organisms, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Cheers!


Spyderco ClipiTool Standard and Michelob Ultra Pure Gold Organic Light Lager

[bearrowland]

and stay healthy and safe my friend!

[Mad Mac]

Bourbon barrels are burned and charred inside to caramelize wood sugars that leach into the whiskey for a smoother, mellower flavor. Some beers are aged in bourbon barrels to impart flavors from the previous contents. The label on this beer says:

"This is a flavorful American Copper Lager brewed with Two-row Barley and aged on real Jim Beam Bourbon barrel staves for a toasted Oak aroma, a deliciously nutty taste with Caramel, Rye and Vanilla notes, and a smooth finish."

Close enough. It is tasty.


Spyderco ClipiTool Standard and Budweiser Copper Lager Jim Beam

[bearrowland]

I'd like to try some of that!

[Mad Mac]

The ClipiTool Standard offers a lot of utility. Just today I used the large screwdriver tip to remove the Chicago screw on a Rhodesian rifle sling from Andy's Leather so I could adjust it for my Ruger American Compact rifle. Of course I could have dug a screwdriver out of my toolbox, but the Standard is just so handy.


Spyderco ClipiTool Standard and Rhodesian sling

[Mad Mac]

Just in the nick of time, I've received another care package from Beer of the Month Club.
This is the front of the house. It will not change except for the fascia and roof.
The fiber cement board fascia painted Medici Ivory is already in place. New roof to follow.


Spycerco ClipiTool Standard and Atlanta Brewing Company Hoplanta West Coast IPA

[bearrowland]

[Mad Mac]

Happy Mothers Day. At least until it is banned for not being inclusive.

This beer from Georgia's first craft brewery is to celebrate the completion of the galvalume roof.


Spyderco ClipiTool Standard and Atlanta Brewing Co Hartsfield Indian Pale Ale