Captain Ronald Scott Searls, Temple Fire and Rescue

 About 14 years ago, Scott had just returned from a deployment with the National Guard. He got home too late to register for the fall semester at college. And, he wasn’t really sure he wanted to keep going. His ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) working full time, and National Guard commitment made it difficult to carry a full course load. It was looking like he would be lucky to graduate before he turned 40! 

One day, he mentioned having an interest in applying for the fire academy. I thought it was a brilliant idea. So, I called his sister, Rebecca, and tasked her with getting him signed up. She got online, signed him up, he was accepted, and started on a career that has been perfect for him.

The fire department has a promotion process that I find narrow minded and discriminatory. It is all score based, with no performance assessment or job evaluations factored in. While Scott is brilliant, studying and test taking have always been a struggle for him. All because of the ADD. Therefore, advancement has been slow.

After several years of endless study and test taking, I think he was becoming really discouraged. The latest test was especially frustrating due to the lack of retiring captains. After talking to Molly about a few other stumbling blocks, it looked like Scott was going to miss out again. Wanting to enlist all the help I could on Scott’s behalf, I decided to turn it over to God. And,  He answered my  prayers! Scott was officially promoted to Captain on December 18, 2024.

The department held their annual Christmas party and promotion ceremony at the Mayborn Center in Temple. Several members of the family were able to show our support and attend. We were all so very proud of our firefighter!

Captain Searls

Molly pinning on his badge.

Ron and I pinning on his rank.

Receiving his official red captain’s helmet.

Swearing in and administration of oath.

The city official’s receiving line.

Happy family! Rebecca, John, Ron, Marian, Molly, Gwen and Scott

The ceremony was wonderful and  I am sure our proud smiles lit our faces. The feeling of brotherhood and family that the fire department has for one another was evident. We are so proud of Scott and his dedication to the community he serves.

KOA cabin Pros and Cons

Since we made the (stupid) decision to get another dog, traveling has become problematic. We now have to find places to stay that permit dogs; and, provide easily accessed potty areas. We decided to try staying in a KOA cabin in Argillite, KY during our summer 2023 road trip.

It came with good points and bad. Mostly good; with fairly easy solutions to the bad. The good points are economical as well. We can cook our meals to avoid eating out all the time. We avoid the pet deposits that motels now require. Using our senior, military or KOA membership, makes staying for an extended time less expensive than motel rooms. There is plenty of beautiful outdoor space to walk the dog. And, we don’t share walls with people that would be bothered by the barking.

Not all cabins are the same. Depending on how much plunder you want to pack, you can select one that is basically an empty shell; but very inexpensive.  We didn’t want to haul bedding, dishes, towels, etc. because our car isn’t that big. So, we opted for the deluxe cabin.

The cabin has a porch and private patio, complete with furniture and a grill.

There is a complete mini kitchen; dishes, towels, pans, and cleansers supplied.

There is a small table with 4 chairs. We used 2 chairs as end tables

There is also a television with cable.

There is a futon with bedding in the living room.

No carpet, which is great!

There is a separate bedroom with a full sized bed.

And, a small bathroom with shower.

Towels were also included.

The cons are easily surmountable: 

1. We need to pack a laundry hamper to keep our dirty clothes in until we can wash them at the campground laundromat. And, take detergent from home!

2. We need to generate a list of easy meals that do not result in left overs. We ended up throwing out a lot of food that wasn’t eaten. Plus, we need to cook food that doesn’t require a lot of seasoning or condiments. 

3. We need to take our own pillows and an extra blanket for TV viewing.

4. A surge protector long enough to plug in phones, tablets, Ron’s c-pap machine is a must! There were very few outlets.

The cabin ended up being a great option. One we will choose again.