My Free Tickets???

I had won two free tickets to see Jason Aldean back in March of this year at the Vicksburg Convention Center and Auditorium, but the concert was cancelled. A computer randomly picked my name from the fan members of the River 101 Fun Country Radio Station. I was looking forward to seeing him. He is getting more famous day by day and on his way to making the big time. While Aldean is headed for the big time, Bob and I are headed to Rex's Christmas Place Plantation Hunting Club for a fun Saturday and the Fourth. Looking forward to visiting with him and his family/friends again. Have a safe and Happy Fourth of July my blogger friends!

Lucy's Annoying Brother, Ethan!

Playing with our (peek-a-poo) dog Katie!

Ethan's new Ducati motorcycles!

Ethan and I are spending some quality time together today. He went with me this morning to get a spray-in-liner for the bed of our new truck. We have been to "Wally-World" and just hanging out having the best time. Ethan is a well-mannered young boy and loves to read. He is looking forward to Youth Weekend when hopefully he will get a deer at the Christmas Place Hunting Club. Ethan will be in the 8th grade when school starts in August. He is the youngest of my three grandsons.

Tea Time With Lucy!

Having tea with my youngest granddaughter Lucy. We are spending quality time together today. I am so blessed with grandchildren. They bring so much joy to my life. I am very fortunate and a proud (Grandmother) Gran Gran!





Lucy enjoying her tea and cake!

Lucy will be 10 years old in September! She will not be the youngest much longer, because my youngest daughter, Suzi will be having her first baby in August. Another granddaughter! This will give me 5 granddaughters, 4 step-granddaughters, 3 grandsons, 2 step-grandsons and one great-grandson. I'm not bragging am I?

Practicing for Bow Season!

I took this picture of Bob back in September 1986 practicing for bow season. After Bob had his tree stand accident in 1993, he could never get back into a climber stand. A well broke and he was slammed up against the tree and broke his first and second ribs, wrenched his back and knocked out a tooth. He had his safety belt on and another hunter (Brad) was hunting nearby and heard the noise and went to check on Bob. When Brad got to Bob, he said he did not remember coming down from the tree. A few years later, this stand accident ended up in court, whereby we had to sue our lawyer for mal-practice. This lawyer was a sitting Municipal Judge in Memphis at the time of the hearing. We went to Federal Court here in Vicksburg and won!

Sir Ugly!

My girlfriend, Lynn and I were hunting together on a cold December weekend back in 1991, at Brown's Point Hunting Club on King's Point Island, near the Mississippi River, when I shot this ugly deer. It came out in a long deep draw and just stood there...Like....please shoot me, because I'm so ugly! No does want me! We both thought it was a doe and I decided to shoot and it dropped. We waited and saw that it was not dead and slowly walked down the draw to the deer. Could not believe as we got closer, that it was a 7 pt. buck! I had a .22 pistol on me and Lynn said that she wanted to finish the hunt. Bob was hunting down from us and when he heard the shot, he came to check on us. Before he saw the deer, I told him that I had just shot the ugliest deer in the woods. He laughed and said, I got to see this ugly deer. When he approached the deer, he wholeheartly agreed. I had him mounted on a plaque and Sir Ugly now has a place of honor in our home.

Ellis Nassour's Fame!

A picture of myself with a good friend of mine, Ellis Nassour, who coordinated tours headlining Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Peter, Paul & Mary, Al Hirt, Peter Nero, Connie Stevens, Julie London and Bobby Troupe. His first interview was with Bob Hope. He is at work on Marvelous Gals from Movie-Musicals and his first novel, The Scent of Magnolia. He's an international media journalist, veteran of The New York Times and New York Daily News and writes extensively for Playbill and Broadway Stars.com. Ellis has conducted creative writing seminars at Rutgers University, the Space Coast Writers Association, the University of Kentucky, Hinds College and the University of Mississippi. He is on the Executive Board of theatrical organization Drama Desk. September 2005 saw the dedication of the Mamie and Ellis Nassour Arts & Entertainment Collection at the University of Mississippi in memory of Ellis' parents [presently housed in the John D. Williams Library]. The launch of his 1993 Patsy Cline biography at New York's Cowgirl Hall of Fame Restaurant began the annual St. Patsy's Day event (look-alike contest) on St. Patrick's Day night. Ellis was instrumental in getting Patsy Cline named to the Cowgirl Hall of Fame. An updated trade edition of Ellis' Patsy Cline biography will be published in 2008. Ellis has made it really big in New York. He attended St. Aloysius which was run by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. I attended St. Francis Xavier Academy, which was run by the Sisters of Mercy. It is now called the Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation. Ellis and I also worked together part-time at the Strand Theatre after school hours. I told him one day at work that he would make it big one day. I was right! This picture was taken about five years ago at the Yeager Plantation in Mound, LA, at a small class reunion get-together. I am so proud of my hometown friend!

Billy's All Wet!

Bob took this funny/wet picture of Billy Boykin, Jr., at Brown's Point Hunting Club, Kings Point Island, around the new year about 19 years ago. Bob and I, Billy and his wife Lynn were the only ones at the camp hunting at the time. All the other hunters were smart and got out in time. The Mississippi River and the back waters had risen and the camp was slowly going under water. We had left our vehicles safely on the road and walked back to the deer camp to hunt some more. When we got ready to leave out the next morning, the water was so high that we decided to elect Billy to go and get the boat so we could get out. He had to wade into the cold frigid water to the other side to get the boat. It was not funny at the time for him, but as you can see he was trying to get his wet clothes off and change into some dry ones. Billy had harvested a deer the day before and we had to get our guns, etc., out of there. It was an adventure for sure! The look on his face tells it all! His favorite song he would sing all the time was, "I Feel Good"....but I don't think he was feeling so good at this point in time to sing, "I Feel Good"! More like "I Feel Brrrr Cold!

Happy 17th Birthday Carl!

Carl and I riding around on the 4-wheeler at Bob's camp, Homewood Hunting Club in Claiborne County. That day we hunted Bob's "Cedar Tree" stand but did not see anything. In 2003 Carl harvested a 5 pt. buck at my camp at Jasper Bottom Hunting Club in Claiborne County. Hopefully, this season he will either get another buck or his first doe.

Carl and I will be spending the day together. Will pick him up for lunch and take him to his favorite place, Ryan's. Family will get together later this afternoon to celebrate his 17th birthday.

John's First Visitors

We were John's first visitors of his newly purchased bus on Ebay. He picked it up in Texas and came through Vicksburg on his way back home to South Carolina. We met up with John at the Mississippi Tourist Infomation Center back in 2003.

Cally the cat!

Bob playing with Buddy!

John and Bob before we went in to see how he had refurbished the bus since his last visit to Vicksburg.


Bob and I visiting John in his Finn's Express Inn bus with his beagle dog named Buddy. John is also a blogger at On the road with Buddy and Cally Cat too!! Check it out!

Finn's Inn Express

You can check out Finn's Inn Express as he travels across the US in an old promotional Budweiser bus that he has converted into his home away from home. He pulls his motorcycle and convertible Volkswagon in the container behind him. Makes for a long pull. (Will have more pics to come)




Let me introduce you to John Finn, who is a former Boys Town classmate of Bobs'. After Rex and Denise left to go back home to Water Valley, MS, John wanted us to come by and visit him at the Ameristar RV Park. He was passing through Vicksburg going to Louisiana, Texas, on up to Montana and over into Wisconsin. He is originally from Columbia, SC. We enjoyed our visit very much and Bob caught up on his former classmates, their whereabouts and talked about old times. Later we took him to Ameristar Casino for dinner. It was an enjoyable evening.

Here's to Friendship!

Toasting champagne!
Other points of interest we took in was lunch at Anchuca Mansion and Inn and dinner at the new Riverview Buffet at Rainbow Casino.





What happens in Vicksburg, stays in Vicksburg!!

What a Wonderful Weekend!

Rex checking out my deer camp at Jasper Bottom Hunting Club in Claiborne County next to the Big Black River. We had so much fun exploring the terrain of my hunting territory and wishing our blogger friends, Othmar, GuyK, Norm, jon, Gunslingergirl and jannos were with us.


At the U.S.S. Cairo Museum.




We toured the Vicksburg National Military Park and made a stop at the Illinois State Memorial. This monument has 47 steps, one for every day Vicksburg was besieged. The eagle on top was taken down in April 1996 and re-gilded by artisans. The gold leaf will last for approximately 75 years.


Rex trying to reach his dog "CAMO" (quack quack) on the telephone to see if she's alright, as we toured The Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum where coke was first bottled in 1894, in my hometown of Vicksburg.


They are at the Mississippi Tourist Welcome Center viewing the bridges and the mighty Mississippi River .


After Rex and Denise arrived in Vicksburg from Water Valley, MS, we took them out to eat at Goldie's Trail Bar-B-Que Family Restaurant. The barbecue ribs, etc., was out of this world. This restaurant has been featured in the Southern Living Magazine for their delicious true-pit barbecue. If you ever visit Vicksburg you have to go to Goldie's and check it out. You want regret it!

Wish You Were Here!

Vicksburg, MS> Hi! This is Rex and I write Deer Camp Blog. I am visiting my friend Marian and we are having a great time.
We have eaten out, explored the battlefield and rummaged through the downtown district. We sure wish Othmar was here. It sure was a bright idea. Sure wish all our blogging buddies were here!

Red Carpet

Bob and I are looking forward to rolling out the Red Carpet for Rex and Denise in our hometown of historical Vicksburg, MS.

Taking a Break!

Resting at the cabin in Carpenter, MS, after pulling Bob out of a muddy blog! Billy and Lynn would stay in town during the week and go to the cabin on weekends. One weekend they headed to the cabin and as they drove up to the house they saw that it had burnt to the ground. They think lighting had struck it. It was a real nice place and we had spent several weekends there. It was a good thing they had another house to go to. I think they ended up selling the land. This cabin was near a hunting camp called Scholowe.

Billy, Bob and Lynn trying to get the 3-wheeler out of the mud and up a hill. You can see the post made on Friday, June 8, 2007, as to how stuck it was with Bob's tongue hanging out!

Hunting Buddies!

This picture was also taken in November 1994. I believe it may have been the same day or the next day. Fred Harris, myself and Billy Boykin, Sr. My hunting buddies!

I found this picture of Fred Harris and I this morning while looking through some old hunting photos. This is an 8-point that I harvested at Brown's Point Hunting Club on Kings Point Island, north of Vicksburg, in 1994. At this camp you could only harvest a buck and a doe. On this particular hunt Fred told me that I could shoot his buck. He is such a kind and sweet man. He was also the camp president. I felt honored that he would give me his buck. Bob was in the deer stand with me on the Mississippi River when this buck was running with two does in some tall brush. All I had was a neck shot and I took it!

Snake!

A picture of Debra, Bob, Allen and Reed taken by Reed's stand. Allen holding a snake!

This is the stand that I was in while hunting my deer below.

Reed in his stand at Jasper Bottom Hunting Club in Claiborne County, MS. Reed was my husband's boss back in Champaign, IL, before Reed had a stroke. His handicap did not keep him from hunting. Looks like Bob is clearing some shooting lanes.

Swamp Doe!

During deer season many years ago, I decided to stay on my stand all day. I had just ate my lunch about 12:15 and was taking a little nap while the sun was shinning on my head, when I heard a snap of a branch. I look towards the swamp area and saw a doe coming to the right of my stand. I immediately put my hat on (I guess for good luck) and got my gun ready. I shot and the doe came towards me and as she turned in front of my stand, I could see the exit hole. I knew I had her. She turned towards the swamp again and I was afraid she was going to go in it. I waited for about 20 minutes and got down to look. As I was walking towards the swamp slowly, I turned to my left and there were two does headed right for me. I could not believe it! They were no more than 25 yards to my left. What I did next will make you laugh...I said "BOO" and they took off! I laughed at myself...I can't believe I just told two deer "BOO"! I wanted to find my deer that I had just shot. I finally found her laying right next to the swamp. I think Bob was hunting at his camp at the time and Allen came from the camp house when he heard me shoot. He said that his Dad had told him to go check on me because I probably got a deer. Allen took a picture of me and help me get my deer back to the camp. A very successful and unusual hunt!

Party Goers!

MORE PARTY GOERS!

Carl and his Mexican girlfriend Genesis.


Ethan and his Aunt Kathy.

Ethan's Dad (Jay), Venessa and little Aiden

Ethan's Mom (Debra) and her friend John.




Stephen, Ethan's older brother.