Sale on canvas prints! Use code ABCXYZ at checkout for a special discount!

Blog

Displaying: 1 - 10 of 23

  |  

Show All

  |

[1]

2 3 Next

The Black Panther on Rattlesnake Creek

January 11th, 2024

The Black Panther on Rattlesnake Creek

Black panther spotted on Rattlesnake Creek
Randy Branham
10h ·
Shared with Public
Panther on
Rattlesnake Creek - As I was growing up on the farm over in Highland County, like most young people I had several friends but, I think I was blessed to have two older and one younger sisters and two older and two younger brothers. I was right in the middle which means of course I never got anything new it was all hand-me-downs if it wasn't already worn out. Having two older sisters helped a lot because guys would come around and of course, want to hang around the " little kid brother" just to get to see and know my sisters. One of these friends was Herb Bartley from up the road at Centerville. Well, Herb and I got along quite well as he was old enough to own a beautiful blue Harley Motorcycle which I thought was pretty cool.
I guess I didn't realize or didn't care he was coming over so often to see my blond sister two years older than me but, we became friends and started doing a lot of fishing at night using trotline fishing. This was a way to string a heavy line across the creek with short drop-down lines every so often with bait on hooks and you could leave it out at night to catch fish.
One night we had to go way up Rattlesnake Creek to get to a big hole of water to string our lines and to get there we had to stop at the top of a big hill and open and close the gate no more roads from here on to the water hole. Back then farmers didn't care if you used their farm fields to gain access to a good fishing hole if you respected their property and always closed the gates, which we always did. About midnight we traversed the fields for almost a mile to get to the open water area to put in our lines. We parked the cycle up in the field and climbed down a steep bank to gain access to the big hole of water to put in our lines. As I was standing on a sandbank holding the big flashlight for Herb to string our line across the creek we heard the most awful scream that sounded like it was right on top of us, the next thing I remember was Herb yelling at me to come on as he was already up the bank on his motorcycle and waiting on me. Believe me when I say it did not take long for this ole basketball-running kid to traverse that bank and jump on the bike. Herb said I'll run out in the middle of the field and keep moving and maybe he won't come after us. Herb said I don't have enough gas for us to stay here till daylight running around this field we just gotta get out of here. I said OK what will we do, he said I'll run us up to the bottom of the hill and you jump off and run up the hill and open the gate and I'll ride and push the bike up after you. Remember you have to shut the gate and lock it. If you have never heard a panther scream while standing on a creek bank that sounds like it is right on top of you, you just ain't lived it will wake up every sense you have and then some, need less to say we never went back to that fishing hole and just left our lines there. Kids back in the fifty's had more fun, a true story about the life of a kid on the farm.
Uncle Ran

Hold on Tite to Your Dream

October 1st, 2023

When I entered the USAF and was sent to March AFB in Southern California, where I was just another rock in the creek, I lost all confidence among the many that talked with arrogance like Rush Limbaugh or Bobby Knight does today, with all the confidence in the world, not knowing they were just as scared as me.
Things went along like this for quite some time until one day I met Marty Bloomingdale and in talking with him I heard him tell Jim Garret the amount of money he was making in his off hours. As I was only making $123.00 per month with a wife and kid I was interested in making a little more money. Let me just say that Marty was not an impressive individual he was not good looking and he was not someone most would want to emulate. So I figured if he could do it so could I. So I went with him to meet this Chuck Courtwright who was the leader of this group called "Presto Pride".
Well Chuck changed my life forever he instilled in me the confidence and enthusiasm that was always there just waiting to come out and be displayed. He asked me a few questions and said, come back next week and in between now and then I want you to read this book and handed me a book called [Think and Grow Rich]. He knew if I was really interested in improving my life I would read the book and return wanting to know more and if I was just another blow hard I probably wouldn't even come back.
Well I read the book and was as thrilled and excited as one can be, I had never heard of such successes as was in this book and all starting from nothing. I was ready to get to work, but he wasn't ready for me just yet, he handed me another book called [How to Win Friends and Influence People] by Dale Carnegie. I had to wait another week before he would hire me, he said I don't want you to get started and then fail, I want you to know you can do this and continue to be successful from here on out.
I didn't doubt him at all I could see success all around him at every meeting he was giving away prizes that I couldn't afford at all, dozens of them fancy lamps and what knots for the home, fancy clocks made of glass, stuff you would only dream about as a young 21 year old Airman.
Just let me say I went to work with him and in nine months earned enough money to completely pay off a brand new 1966 Mustang. We almost completely furnished our home with his prizes, you see he knew he had to not only have me, but he needed to have my wife's confidence as well hence all the prizes to motivate her to spur me on and help build my confidence. I parlayed all that success into enough confidence to come back to Ohio and had all three company's that I had given my resume too wanting to hire me, and yet with no formal education [college degrees were a requirement] I was hired as a salesman for PITNEY BOWES, the world's leader in mail equipment.
I went on to own Century 21 Champions Real Estate Company with 155 sales people and seven offices plus a commercial division in Cincinnati. A large building company an Insurance company and a development company selling my land to Fifth Third Bank , Arby's and United Dairy Farmers and others . I even wrote a National book on " Mergers in the Real Estate Business". So if this ole country boy can do it so can you. Hope you don't take this as bragging, but why should you believe me if I had never accomplished anything, I'm just trying to set my posture as they say lol.
Confidence is like pouring water into a glass; if you try to do to tepidly you will most likely spill some of it just trying ; if you're so arrogant you just grab it and dump it in you'll lose most of it also; but if you pour with assurance, trust, and confidence you will fill the glass and never spill a drop. Learn all you can about what you want to do, find something you desire, go after it with a passion. Keep your priorities straight, I always put GOD first family second and my vocation third and anything else after that for fun.
Remember your ABC'S when it comes to success I had a complete "wagon wheel of success" I used to teach my sales associates it works and several of my associates drove new Cadillac's free to prove it.
ATTITUDE
BELIEF
CONFIDENCE
DESIRE
EFFORT
FAILURE
GOALS
HELP
Look at these attributes as spokes in a wagon wheel. As you know in order for a wheel to turn it has to have many spokes the more and stronger the spokes the faster it may turn. If any of these eight spokes are broken or are no good the wheel is no good either, this is true of me and you if we don't have good attributes we can't perform and work successfully either. The more good spokes we have and the stronger the better. The reason for the analogy of the wagon wheel it helps to keep us focused and a good way of remembering how it all fits together, everyone remembers their ABC's.
Now let's build a strong wagon wheel that will carry us through and help make us become successful and enjoy life the way we desire.
First the hub of the wheel the spokes are imbedded into is your persistence, this holds the axle that will extend your goals and desires to others" other wheels", for when you are able to make others successful then you will be also. Back to the spokes and the wheel there's more to the wheel than just spokes , it needs a band of iron all around the wheel to hold it all together. This is your dreams, your aspiration's of life all the things you want out of life to make it all worth all your time and effort. Never give up on your dream your dreams are what will keep you going when you can't see any way to go. Keep your wheel rolling by remembering your ABC's and keep yourself on track to accoumplish whatever you desire.
Uncle Ran

Small Business' How They Come About

May 13th, 2023

Small Business

My son and I were having a late dinner at Frischs last night and started talking about how much money the Branham's have spent over the years at Frischs. I told Tony I remember back in the early Fifty's Mom would take one of us older children there were eight of us and would travel from Leesburg down Rt. 50 to take brother Tim the youngest to the hospital he had to have a bone replacement surgery in his hip, so we were going a lot, he was a small child and we would often stop at Frischs MAINLINER for lunch, dinner, or breakfast on the way either coming or going. I could not count the times we have eaten at Frischs since then.
I remember at one family reunion we had 107 people, I know because I took the picture and were just one family.This is America where there are over 31.7 million small business' to serve you and I for everything you can think of, this is what makes America great. It's not just the big company but the little guy, the above average person who will sacrafice and work diligently for long hard hours to make things work for all. I know we all want to work for the biggest company around,of course you'll probably make bigger tips at a bigger restaurant. I remember our Daughter Nikki was waiting tables back in the seventy's at a restaurant called The White house and she received a $100.00 tip. We all have to start somewhere and usually it's a small business first. So I expect you and your family have spent a lot of money at Frischs or somewhere like them over the years also. Well Frischs, or Dunkin Donuts or any other business you can name including TESLA or APPLE started as you know as a small business they developed what we wanted in a product, service or method and made it work. At least here in America all your work ins't going to the government to be divided up and handed out as they see fit like in a Socialist country, but it's earned for you in America where we are still free and can start a business of your own and make it pay in proportion to your abilities . Uncle Ran

The Pheasant Flush

April 15th, 2023



The Pheasant Flush
It was early in the morning, in the fall of 1957, Dad walked into our bedroom and said boys lets go get us a pheasant. We were always ready to grab our guns and head out to go hunting. We quickly got dressed and went on into the kitchen where Mom was fixing the usual Saturday morning breakfast, a pan of 24 biscuits with gravy, bacon and eggs. We would have biscuits for lunch and most times supper too, that way she would have to bake only once per day.
Dad said you boys hook up the tractor and wagon and we'll will go up on the hill to that patch of corn and shuck us a load of corn before we come back for lunch.
I was a lean 13 years old and brother Dane was going on seventeen and already gallivanting around doing things most couldn't even think about. He could whip a bull dog with buzz saws for paws and wouldn't hesitate to do it. It seems he got connected up with a group of guys up at the Clinton air Base in Wilmington who had their own Levi jackets printed up with their names on them and they thought they were tough. Dad didn't take to it very well, but that's another story.
It took a while to get up to the top of this big hill as we had to follow the creek for a ways to another branch off to the left and then start climbing up the hill in order to travers the country with a tractor and wagon. I always hated to have to go after the cows at milking time because that's where they would always be. I remember at one time we had this beautiful collie dog and when I would get home from school he would have the cows in the barn lot waiting for me. I guess that's why I loved the movie about OLE YELLER; he was the best daggum dog in the world.
As we pulled up to the corn patch I could just feel the pheasants get ready to jump out and fly away, but nothing moved. We climbed down off the tractor and walked over to the patch and grabbed a couple of stalks of corn to twist them together so we could lean our shotguns up against them like a tripod. That would keep the guns up off the ground and away from our flying ears of corn hitting the wagon, which was why we couldn't load them in the wagon. About that time a big ole cock rooster flew up out from under our guns, knocking our guns down and scaring us over into the next farmers field. Sell Art Online
After we got ourselves composed again we started shucking corn and proceeded to fill the wagon. If you have never had a pheasant fly up out from under your feet cackling and flapping those wings , well you just can't seem to ever get ready for it. They most always want to run or just plain hide like this one, only he waited until we walked away and then he flew the coop.
I thought at that time there wasn't anything as good as roast pheasant and we had it often, but times and things changed and the pheasant population of the fifty's was gone for many years,
it's just now starting to come back . But the big problem now is there are no longer any small farms with small patches of corn with weeds growing up around the corn stalks for the birds to hide in. We have become too adept at farming and spreading insecticides and such cleaning out even the fence rows. I guess that's why when I see a pretty little old farm stead like this one I stop and starting shooting with my camera. I took so many pictures of this little farm that the farmer came out to see what I was doing, we had a good talk and I left. I love the country and old barns.
Uncle Ran

The First Outwest Hunting Trip

December 15th, 2022

The First Outwest Hunting Trip

My First Outwest Hunting Trip - I went on an Elk hunt in Idaho with a few other fellows from around West Chester where we all worked at building houses, developing land, and selling Real Estate that ended up in a story that was published in the Magazine called [Outdoor Life]. We had two big Motor Homes each pulling jeeps and had camped on the Madison River [one of the last free flowing rivers] near Ennis Idaho Art Prints Very much like this scene of the Sacaramento River in California ,unfortunatly I didn't get apic of the madison River.
I shot an Elk that very first morning which took three of us until almost midnight of very hard work to haul it out of the mountains. Well the Game Warden came down in the middle of the night and confiscated it saying we were not with a guide which the law read you have to have a licensed guide present [all the time], we had a guide that cost plenty, but at night he went back across the river and said he would return the next morning. We didn't know any difference. The Warden immediately informed us we were all under arrest and could either pay a fine of $50.00 each [10 of us] or go to court that night, a Sunday night.
Well to say the least that did not go well, but we didn't know what else to do but go along and pay the fine so we did. After paying the Warden plus the Guide several hundred dollars we decided to go into the little town of Ennis, we were all to upset to sleep and see if there were more goings on. The little town of Ennis consisted of a raised board walk like you would see in the cowboy movies with a grocery store - post office - and a bar that was it, remember this was back in the 70's not much normally going on there, but on this night that place was hopping it was overrun with hunters from all around. It seems this game warden that was from, Springfield Ohio was in cahoots with the Guide had taken many elk and deer from hunters on trumped up charges and they were all there and fighting mad. One group from Colorado had just arrived with 6 deer they had legally bagged and tagged in Colorado, and they were ready to fight. Someone called in the Highway Patrol and the local Sheriff, and settled everybody down, but it was kind of scary there for a while. We're talking about some tough characters with loaded weapons and mad. I couldn't believe it but one of our members let the air out of the Sheriff's tires and if I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't believe it, just goes to show how upset some folks can get when wronged. Later one of our members decided to sue the State, and it ended up in the papers and the biggest outdoor Magazine of the time "Outdoor Life" and he got the law changed. But it ended a weeklong hunt, down to just one day with no meat or antlers. We didn't want to go back in the woods with that crazy Guide and Warden, because if something did happen it would be very nervous time consuming and expensive, so we elected to turn around and head back to Ohio. but we went on other hunts in later years and had great times and wonderful memories. Happy trails
Uncle Ran

Spam cans and worn britches

December 10th, 2022

As a little kid on the farm, back in the late forty's and early fifty's we didn't have many toys to play with, so we had to make do with what was to be had on hand.
Spam cans come to mind and tomato soup cans and such. When they plowed the fields the rows of upturned dirt made great places to take a spam can as a shovel and gouge out a road for the span can car to run and slide up and down the dirt to make a little road that would run up and down the furrowed hills and valleys.We wore the knees ot of our britches and thats how we looked most of the time,well now kids you know they all want to be different and not look like everyone else so they buy their jeans already wore out, go figure. Art Prints
After my brother and I got tired of digging highways and pushing the can around we would take a tomato soup can and split it up the middle, after cutting out the bottom and open it up good and wide to hold the hoop. Then find an old barrel hoop and tobacco stick and nail the can onto the end of the tobacco stick to make a holder for the hoop and stick to roll the hoop all around the barn lot.
This of course was before I got my first Daisy Red Ryder BB gun which occupied all my interest for quite some time, well actually until I got my first horse, when that came about me and local friend , Allen Pagen rode all over the county spending the night out on the trail just like they did in the movies.
Life on the farm was great, I wouldn't trade it for anything. What with the ole swimming hole, horses, hay mow's, tractors to pull sleds, lots of fields and woods to hunt and fish and build tree houses, we once had a two-story tree house. The farm we lived on before Bridges was down by Dodsonville Ohio a couple miles off Rt. 50, Dad built us a new barn and a new home there on 80 acres, it was a nice place but the farm at Leesburg was much better we built a new house there also. The Dodsonville place had a big oak tree on one fence row that was so big we built a two-story tree house, we could walk out on several limbs many feet it was awesome, after growing up and working in and around trees. I estimate it to be over 500 years old, I went back a few years ago to photograph it but it was gone. The limbs were pretty close to the ground and as big around as a big man it was awsome. We also had a big tree on the farm at Bridges it was a Sycamore and was completely hollow when Dad was afraid it would fall across the road and hurt someone so we cut it down. I remember being able to stand up inside the tree when it lying on the ground.
Being raised on spam, tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches and the like I still enjoy them today along with the Chili and peanut butter sandwiches we had at school, so Spam and britches worn out at the knees are a part of history I'll never forget. Uncle Ran

LIFE ON THE FARM Rural General Stores

December 7th, 2022

LIFE ON THE FARM Rural General Stores

LIFE ON THE FARM

The Happenings By Uncle Ran
The General Store










December 22nd, 2013
Edited February 26, 2022
.
We moved up to Bridges in the summer of 1952, I was riding on top of a load of our furniture on Grandpa's big red International flatbed truck, which would get you arrested today. At about 8 years old everything was new to me and very exciting; I just don't know how much use I was in lending a helping hand.
That's where I got my first Nesbitt's Grape Soda, that along with the bologna sandwiches which tasted better than anything I had had yet.
Elmer Leaverton the owner of the local Grocery Store there in Bridges was a kind and gentle old man and always happy to see you. He had a gas pump and sold kerosene and all types of groceries. As I grew up into my teen years and driving a car, gas was about 23 cents per gallon. I know because my first car was an old 51 Chrysler and it took one gallon of gas and one quart of oil to go into Leesburg and back, which was only 4 miles and until my graduation year I had to walk it every night coming home from basketball practice with games usually on Friday and Saturday nights.
All the farmers would gather at the store in the late fall and winter months after most of the work on the farms were finished. Elmer had an old pot belly stove and Dane my brother and I would sneak down to the store and sit around the stove and spit, trying to act big enough to get into the conversation. I always especially liked it at Christmas time; Elmer would buy candy in big amounts about 2' square boxes and sell it to everyone including Mom for Christmas in little brown Pokes, man that was the best candy you ever ate. She always bought 8 or 10 bags at a time, so we really had a good variety. Elmers's store was several miles out into the country, but back then there were little stores like this all over the country.
I guess that's why I like taking photos of them they all bring back fond memories of good times long gone, but as they say never forgotten. Sadly, this is the only picture of Elmer's store, sure wish I had more.
Elmer had one of those high porches you had to climb to get into the store that were built a lot back in those days what with so many creeks close by flooding was a problem. Bridges was so named because you couldn't get to it without crossing a bridge, of which there were four at the time.
I'm sadly told the Columbus Dispatch came down to Elmers back in the 70's and did an interview on one of the last old-fashioned stores still operating in Ohio, and a few weeks later some thugs came in and murdered Elmer and burned the store. The Leaverton family has a cemetery named after them just across the road, they were a large family and well respected in the community. As a kid I had the job of mowing that cemetary it took a very long time, I had to use a push mower,but I got paid good money.
I also remember my grandpa's old store down in Kentucky, Grandpa had a store and Post Office over the mountain, In a different valley, whenever we would go down to visit him and my pipe smoking jolly Grandma, he would always bring me some stick bubble gum which was sweet as can be and you could bite off pieces to chew all day long. I would occasionally get to ride on Grandpa's Old mule called Big Dick and go to the store with him leaving before daylight and Mom and Dad would come by later in the car. It was always scary going thru the mountains in pitch dark, we had to leave before daylight to get there in time to open the store. I never could figure out how that old mule and Grandpa could see well enough in the dark to go thru all those big woods and never get lost.
My Grandpa had a 32/20 Smith Wesson pistol that he always wore to the store and back when he passed away he gave it to my Dad, of course Dad had three other brothers ,but Dad got the pistol. I have seen my Dad shoot walnuts out of a tree many times with this pistol and when dad passed he gave it to me. My son and Grandson will get this pistol, it's the best shooting pistol I've ever seen as they say every once in a while everything goes together perfectly to make an exception weapon and this is one.
Of course, when you're a kid everything revolves around you, I never realized my other brothers and sisters probably got to do the same.
There's a few old stores left here and there another old store called Watson's we would pass on route 11 between Maysville and Morehead that still to this day is still open after more than 50 years. Folks didn't make much money from these old stores, but I guess it was a comfortable living. I know of several store owners in our family, including Mom and Dad who had a thriving store in Martinsville Ohio that Dad bought after selling the farm at Leesburg that's when I had to sell my beloved horse Dixie,but thats the way it was living on a farm back then
Uncle Ran.

My First Car

March 8th, 2022

I had worked hard all summer long going into my senior year, because I knew if I was going to get a car to drive to school or anywhere else, I would have to buy it myself. Well, my dad said when you get your money together let me know and I'll take you downtown Cincinnati where we can find a better car cheaper.
Of course, I didn't take into consideration that my dad had a different idea for a car that I did. He wanted me to buy a six cylinder that got good gas mileage and I wanted a Hot Rod, guess who won that argument of course you got to remember gas was 23cents per gallon and he had to drive to Cincinnati every day to work, so we settled on a 1953 six-cylinder Studebaker. It was blue and looked like an airplane ready to take off.
Well, everything was fine, and I paid for the car, and we headed out of town of course I didn't get to drive my new car. Mom wanted to drive until we got out of town and off of that big highway called Columbia Parkway "Rt 50". Well, we stopped to filler up with gas and checked the oil and washed the windshield again and headed out with Dad following us. As Mom picked up speed " she always was a fast driver " all of a sudden, the hood flipped up and back on top of the car so hard it beat the roof down on top of our heads. Mom had to stick her head out the window to see and asked me to watch the other side and make sure we didn't hit anything. Well, we finally made it home, but the hood was ruined. We made it into one of the best sleds you ever rode on in the winter snow. We could get several kids in it all at the same time.
I looked around at the junk yard for another hood and found one, where the body was ruined in a wreck, but the hood was great and it had a big V8. I bought it right on the spot and towed it down to Johnny Skaggs, my cousins farm in Lynchburg, because his dad Uncle Benny had a big barn with a barn beam where we could pull the motor and put it in my other car so I took two cars and made one good one. My other cousin Butch helped me do all the mechanics and we soon had it running good. After that I took it to Dayton and had all white leather seats installed, plush blue carpeting and had 7 coats of metallic blue paint put on her, she was a beauty still to this day I think that was the best paint job I have ever seen on a car it literally looked one foot deep. You see what made that car so special to me was the summer of my senior year I went to work for one of dad's big construction company's who he worked for in Cincinnati. This guy was a millionaire and owned 1000 acres out by Clarksville and told my dad he was looking for help on his farm and I could work all the hours I wanted to work. Well let me tell you I was not afraid of work and the motivation to work for $1.00 per hour from 7am every morning until 11 or 12 pm every night sounded right up my alley. You see I was usually working for all the farmers around for 4 or 5 maybe 6 hours a day bailing hay which was hit and miss and never any thing steady. We worked so many hours that first week the foreman almost got in a fight with Mr. Brielmeyer, because the foreman's son Dave and I worked so many hours he wouldn't believe it. Well he paid us and said keep on working and we did, we worked the entire summer seven days a week only taking one day off. I took my girl to the drive In and promptly fell asleep at midnight and she work me up at 1PM and said you better take me home now. That's how I bought my 1953 Studebaker and all the money I put into it, but it was worth it, I had already graduated and didn't get to drive it to school.

One night when I wasn't going anywhere { probably broke} dad came in and asked if he could borrow my car. Mom had gone somewhere in our new 1957 Packard, man what a car it even had a turbo charger , and when you hit the gas pedal at sixty it would set you back in your seat with no uncertainty, this in my opinion was the prettiest car Dad ever bought it was maroon and white and looked as long as a train.
Well when Dad asked to borrow my car I didn't think to ask what he was going to do, after all how could I turn him down, I had borrowed his car many nights. When I got in my car the next morning of course he had all ready left for work really early, he had to drive from our Leesburg farm to down town Cincinnati that was a very time consuming ride back then.
Dad had borrowed my car to go pick up his buddy's and their coon hounds and hauled them all in my car which I kept immaculate, it should be known that blue carpet and mud don't mix, man was I upset, I was never able to get that yellow clay out of the carpet, guess they didn't have good cleaners back then.
I got to enjoy my car that summer and fall and joined the USAF that January and left for Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. I hear another story coming up while in the Air Force where I was shooting pool and the siren went off and grown men started jumping under pool tables and yelling, next chapter of Happenings of UNCLE RAN.

Happenings by -Uncle Ran

February 15th, 2022

Happenings by -Uncle Ran

Randy Branham
Admin

· February 12 at 8:41 AM ·
Back in the seventy's I was an avid fisherman, and just loved to get outdoors. Well about 10 of us local's, builders etc. decided to go fishing way up north in Canada. We heard about Lowell Thomas Outdoors who had guided fishing party's, so we chose a lake where we were the first to fly into this particular area. We new that had to be prime fishing, we pretty well felt we had fished out all the lakes here lol.
So away we went two big campers with 5 men in each camper. We drove as far as you can drive up thru Canada and then flew another 50 miles to get to the cabin that had just been built, we were the first there. We caught Walleye's and pike until you wouldn't believe it. So, we started a contest with two guys in each boat just to see who the best was. You could only count a fish that was 24" long and it had to be landed and or thrown back unless it was a Walleye which we ate. Well Gail Wilson beat me he had 89 fish that day. I only had 83. That place would spoil you for fishing anywhere else. Have you ever seen 10 men crying and praying and scared near to death well hang on and be sure to catch the next series of our trip. Coming soon on THE GROUP called HAPPENINGS BY Uncle Ran.
Featured
Feature the best of your group
Highlight the best of your group in one convenient place where you can pin posts, hashtags and rules. Learn more
Only admins can see this.
Events
When events are created or shared, they appear in this card.

Only admins can see this.
Add more
Randy Branham
Admin

· 46m ·
Chapter II - The Fishing Trip
We had two days before heading back on the plane to where we left our Campers at The Lowel Thomas Outdoors fish camp at Red Lake Ontario, which was about 1200 miles from home. I had brought a topo map of the area which I was accustomed to doing when I was going to be in a foreign area hunting / fishing. We were looking at the map and had to decided to check out a nearby lake about one mile away just to do some exploring and fish where maybe no on… See more
2 Comments


Randy Branham
Admin

· February 12 at 8:41 AM ·
Back in the seventy's I was an avid fisherman, and just loved to get outdoors. Well about 10 of us local's, builders etc. decided to go fishing way up north in Canada. We heard about Lowell Thomas Outdoors who had guided fishing party's, so we chose a lake where we were the first to fly into this particular area. We new that had to be prime fishing, we pretty well felt we had fished out all the lakes here lol.
So away we went two big campers with 5 men in each camper. We drove as far as you can drive up thru Canada and then flew another 50 miles to get to the cabin that had just been built, we were the first there. We caught Walleye's and pike until you wouldn't believe it. So, we started a contest with two guys in each boat just to see who the best was. You could only count a fish that was 24" long and it had to be landed and or thrown back unless it was a Walleye which we ate. Well Gail Wilson beat me he had 89 fish that day. I only had 83. That place would spoil you for fishing anywhere else. Have you ever seen 10 men crying and praying and scared near to death well hang on and be sure to catch the next series of our trip. Coming soon on THE GROUP called HAPPENINGS BY Uncle Ran.

Confidence And The Wagon Wheel Of Success

February 11th, 2018

Confidence And The Wagon Wheel Of Success

This is for all the young folks out there that haven't learned to develop enough "confidence" to accomplish the goals in life they want. I was recently asked along with my other classmates to write what I was most proud of accomplishing after I graduated. This got me thinking about an article I wrote sometime back, about confidence. I've got some classmates that have put me to shame, like the Retired Chief Of Police of a city, or another guy that was able to build a home of such substance it was used as a Model for " Better Homes and Gardens" or a gal that not only owns a great home here in Ohio, but another one in Sedona Arizona I could go on and on. How do they do it? I keep seeing post after post here on Facebook from our young friends that obviously lack confidence and I though, I was like that at one time how did I overcome the most shy and backward kid in school. Read the story and see and maybe it will change your life like it did mine, it enabled me to earn enough money in 9 months to pay for a brand new 1966 Mustang.

CONFIDENCE
WHAT IS IT: The dictionary says its belief in one's own abilities? Trust; reliance; assurance:
WHY DO YOU WANT IT: Let me answer that by telling a short story about myself? When I was a young man in high school going through my senior year, I was very shy, almost backwards and had no confidence in my abilities in social graces.
I knew who I wanted to ask to the senior prom and probably everyone else in school who knew me knew also who I would ask. But I didn't have the confidence to ask her, even though I sat right beside her in study hall every day. I was just simply to shy and scared to try.
I didn't want to call her on the phone from home for fear my brothers and sisters might laugh and tease me, if by chance I got turned down. So what could I do, well I decided to walk about a mile down the road to Elmer's Grocery Store and call her from there, because I could have some privacy as I would pick a time when no one was about. I had no confidence at all in myself and I almost blew it, because she told me she wasn't going to wait any longer for fear of having to turn down any other callers and have no one ask her and if I hadn't called by now I probably wasn't going too. Well everything turned out well and I took "Miss Fireman of Ohio" to the senior prom and we all had a great time.
HOW DO YOU GET IT: Confidence comes mostly from doing something and doing it well enough to know you're good at it? Back to when I was in school I had good confidence in my ability to play basketball. You see as a teenager I could do something most could not do.
I milked 6 cows every morning and again at night which gave me very strong hands and fingers. I could walk out on the gym floor holding a basketball upside down in each hand and this gave me the confidence I needed to try hard enough to make the team.
I wasn't arrogant; I was just self-assured and knew I could play well, after all my dad played well in Kentucky and could still out shoot me in the barn lot. Plus I have some cousins who played at Lynchburg that I learned from, Johnny who was really good ended up playing for the United States Air Force team and played all over the world and at Madison Square Garden's many times. He had articles written about him in the New York Times calling him "sure shot Branham with springs in his feet"; Johnny could jump like a Deer. I was 5' 10" tall and he would run straight at me and jump completely over my head. His older brother Jimmy played along with our coach John Burton there in Lynchburg and Coach Burton held the school record for highest score until it was won by Danny Branham little brother to Jimmy and Johnny. Danny obviously learned from his older brothers.
Confidence is so important and if you'll watch closely when you see a great athlete that has a son or daughter that comes along they develop that trust and confidence from their father that helps them excel beyond the normal very quickly. It's the trust and assurance they are able to gain that gives them the boost they need.
When I entered the USAF and was sent to March AFB in Southern California, where I was just another rock in the creek, I lost all confidence among the many that talked with arrogance like Rush Limbaugh or Bobby Knight does today, with all the confidence in the world, not knowing they were just as scared as me.
Things went along like this for quite some time until one day I met Marty Bloomingdale and in talking with him I heard him tell Jim Garret the amount of money he was making in his off hours. As I was only making $123.00 per month with a wife and kid I was interested in making a little more money. Let me just say that Marty was not an impressive individual he was not good looking and he was not someone most would want to emulate. So I figured if he could do it so could I. So I went with him to meet this Chuck Courtwright who was the leader of this group called "Presto Pride".
Well Chuck changed my life forever he instilled in me the confidence and enthusiasm that was always there just waiting to come out and be displayed. He asked me a few questions and said, come back next week and in between now and then I want you to read this book and handed me a book called [Think and Grow Rich]. He knew if I was really interested in improving my life I would read the book and return wanting to know more and if I was just another blow hard I probably wouldn't even come back.
Well I read the book and was as thrilled and excited as one can be, I had never heard of such successes as was in this book and all starting from nothing. I was ready to get to work, but he wasn't ready for me just yet, he handed me another book called [How to Win Friends and Influence People] by Dale Carnegie. I had to wait another week before he would hire me, he said I don't want you to get started and then fail, I want you to know you can do this and continue to be successful from here on out.
I didn't doubt him at all I could see success all around him at every meeting he was giving away prizes that I couldn't afford at all, dozens of them fancy lamps and what knots for the home, fancy clocks made of glass, stuff you would only dream about as a young 21 year old Airman.
Just let me say I went to work with him and in nine months earned enough money to completely pay off a brand new 1966 Mustang. We almost completely furnished our home with his prizes, you see he knew he had to not only have me, but he needed to have my wife's confidence as well hence all the prizes to motivate her to spur me on and help build my confidence. I parlayed all that success into enough confidence to come back to Ohio and had all three company's that I had given my resume too wanting to hire me, and yet with no formal education [college degrees were a requirement] I was hired as a salesman for PITNEY BOWES, the world's leader in mail equipment.
I went on to own Century 21 Champions Real Estate Company with 155 sales people and seven offices plus a commercial division in Cincinnati. A large building company an Insurance company and a development company selling my land to Fifth Third Bank , Arby's and United Dairy Farmers and others . I even wrote a National book on " Mergers in the Real Estate Business". So if this ole country boy can do it so can you. Hope you don't take this as bragging, but why should you believe me if I had never accomplished anything, I'm just trying to set my posture as they say lol.
Confidence is like pouring water into a glass; if you try to do to tepidly you will most likely spill some of it just trying ; if you're so arrogant you just grab it and dump it in you'll lose most of it also; but if you pour with assurance, trust, and confidence you will fill the glass and never spill a drop. Learn all you can about what you want to do, find something you desire, go after it with a passion. Keep your priorities straight, I always put GOD first family second and my vocation third and anything else after that for fun.
Remember your ABC'S when it comes to success I had a complete "wagon wheel of success" I used to teach my sales associates it works and some drove new Cadillac's free to prove it.
ATTITUDE
BELIEF
CONFIDENCE
DESIRE
EFFORT
FAILURE
GOALS
HELP
Look at these attributes as spokes in a wagon wheel. As you know in order for a wheel to turn it has to have many spokes the more and stronger the spokes the faster it may turn. If any of these eight spokes are broken or are no good the wheel is no good either, this is true of me and you if we don't have good attributes we can't perform and work successfully either. The more good spokes we have and the stronger the better. The reason for the analogy of the wagon wheel it helps to keep us focused and a good way of remembering how it all fits together, everyone remembers their ABC's.
Now let's build a strong wagon wheel that will carry us through and help make us successful and enjoy life they way we desire.
First the hub of the wheel the spokes are imbedded into is your persistence, this holds the axle that will extend your goals and desires to others" other wheels", for when you are able to make others successful then you will be also. Back to the spokes and the wheel there's more to the wheel than just spokes , it need a band of iron all around the wheel to hold it all together. This is your dreams, your aspiration's of life all the things you want out of life to make it all worth all your time and effort.








 

Displaying: 1 - 10 of 23

  |  

Show All

  |

[1]

2 3 Next