A Flag Thief

Recently, I received an email from a good friend in Washington State about this flag thief.  He said...Thank God for the critters!  I've wasted hundreds of hours fighting with these fellows - who win simply because I gave up!  He sent me this story out of Toledo, OH, that the police have discovered that small flags were being swiped from a police memorial and squirreled away.

Two Toledo officers watched last Wednesday as a squirrel quickly snatched a flag off its wooden dowel and ran off with it.  Lt. James Brown told The Blade newspaper the bushy-tailed critter was too quick to catch.

Later, police noticed a squirrel hanging out on a tree branch outside a third-floor window at their headquarters building.  They also spotted a squirrel's nest made of leaves and branches - and at least two of the little flags.

Brown says at least three of the flags have gone missing in recent days.

He careful to point out he can't prove all were the work of the same squirrel!

Surfin' USA - Doggy Style

Tillman (Bulldog) knows how to enjoy his life!

A Vicksburg Quarter ~ USS Cairo

Tomorrow is a big day for Vicksburg!  We will be in the national spotlight because a new quarter, which depicts the USS Cairo gunboat will officially be put into circulation following a 9:30 a.m. celebration here. 

The USS Cairo was a Union ironclad river gunboat sunk by Confederates in the Yazoo River north of Vicksburg on December 12,  1862. The boat was raised exactly 102 years later, restored and put on permanent display at our Vicksburg National Military Park (VNMP) along with many salvaged artifacts.  

The Vicksburg quarter is the ninth coin in the U. S. Mint's American the Beautiful Quarters Program. 

If you go, parking will not be allowed but VNMP staff will direct visitors to parking on Union Avenue and Confederate Avenue, where shuttle buses will run beginning at 7:15 a.m.  Also, a coin forum will be at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the VNMP Visitor Center's auditorium.

Admission to both events is free.  For more info check it out at:  http://www.nps.gov/vick and click on the quarter icon.

USS Cairo ~ Vicksburg National Military Park, Vicksburg, MS.

Deer Runs Through Emergency Room

Deer runs through Emergency Room  (Click here to view)

Deer apparently skedaddled when asked for proof of insurance!

Paddle Boarding Down This Mississippi

There was an interesting story in last night's paper of brothers, Andy and Dave Cornthwaite, both from London, England, paddle boarding through Vicksburg on the Mississippi River this past Thursday.  Dave Cornthwaite is on a mission to break the world record for the longest distance paddle on a stand up board. He began his trip in Elk Lake, Minn., June 19 and hopes to finish September 7. At the end of the trip, we will have paddled 2,400 miles and is hoping to raise $1.6 million for the AV Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works toward a goal of clean drinking water for sub-Saharan African schools, and a breast cancer awareness charity.  You can check out more information on this at Facebook.com/expedition1000.  Good luck guys and be safe!

Jengo Saying Grace

Amen!

See You On The Front Porch!

On the first day, God created the dog and said, "Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years." The dog said, "That's a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?" And God saw it was good. On the second day, God created the monkey and said, "Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life span." The monkey said, "Monkey tricks for twenty years? That's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the dog did?" And God, again saw it was good. On the third day, God created the cow and said, "You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years." The cow said, "That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?" And God agreed it was good. On the fourth day, God created humans and said, "Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you twenty years." But the human said, "Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?" "Okay," said God, "You asked for it." So that is why for our first twenty years, we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. For the next forty years, we slave in the sun to support our family.. For the next ten years, we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten years, we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone. Life has now been explained to you. There is no need to thank me for this valuable information. I'm doing it as a public service. If you are looking for me I will be on the front porch.

 

Bracing For Irene After Earthquake!

Looks like my daughter and family are having problems lately with an earthquake yesterday in Virginia and now Hurricane Irene approaching the east coast that will be in their area by Sunday.  Nerves and home were shaken up a bit yesterday with hubby off from work while they check out the FAA building in DC to see if there was any structural damage. They are planning to enjoy a picnic in the park today with friends because tomorrow they will be making plans to get ready for the impending hurricane. When it rains it does pour!  Hope everyone in the path of Irene will stay safe and pray for no loss of life.  

Ian's Antics

 

I had a joyful visit with my great grandson, Ina, yesterday evening and he let me take his picture. He is so cute and playful and full of life.  Here he is watching TV in my bedroom and sitting on a little stool.  The last picture he is standing on it.  He is like a little spitfire but was able to coax him in some cute adorable pictures.  Great Gran Gran loves you very much Ian!  Come back soon to visit me again!

Going Back In Time

I came across this old photo not long ago and wondered what monument it was taken at approximately 65 years ago.  It is a picture of myself, with my Aunt Ruby standing behind me and my mother with my brother, now deceased, and my sister, Laura.  I had walked by this monument many, many times and went by there the other day and took a picture of it.  It is the Mississippi Monument in our Vicksburg National Military Park.  I do not recall having this picture taken but it was very nostalgic to go back to where it all happened so long ago.

I'm a little shy here!

Mississippi Monument, Vicksburg National Military Park

A few years ago this Mississippi emblem seal was added to the front. 

Added to the right side...

...and to to the left side

Not sure if this was already there or not at the time.

And the eagles!

Picture at the monument looking down at our truck.  I could imagine myself as a child running down this hill after our picture was taken.

A Sunday Morning Road Trip

My daughter, Debra, was in her van this morning headed to Vicksburg to go to church when she had a blowout on Highway 27.  She called me to come and help and I jumped in my truck and drove to where they, my granddaughter, Lucy, her friend Kelsey and her Dad, John were waiting on me.  Took them back to Learned, MS, so he get get the tools and go back, repair the tire and drive it back to their home.  They really have a very nice place and I took a picture of part of their back yard that they had cleared out that leads to a pond that wraps around the backside of the property.

Picture of an old store at the crossroads on Canada Cross Road in Hinds County.

This old store was not far from the other one and is slowly decaying with time.  I love taking picture of old buildings.  If only the old stores could talk.  They could tell some tall tales of long ago.

Lucy and Kelsey all dressed up and no where to go!  Kelsey is a cheerleader and Lucy is trying out to be one!  Good Luck Lucy!

Baby Fawn Rescued

This was sent to me by my friend Steve and was also posted on YouTube by eddiebett.

He said that on the  morning of May 18, 2011, my wife noticed a deer in a yard that appeared to be frantically looking for something in the rocks that form a wall on the property line in Brush Prairie, WA

When they first went out with the neighbors, they didn't see anything but the doe wouldn't leave the yard.  We went back into our house and watched - after a few minutes the deer came back.  We went out to the area the deer was concentrating on and could hear a baby fawn crying in the rocks. He had apparently fallen in or crawled in through one of the gaps and was now trapped.  The large boulders were too heavy to move and we didn't want to have the rocks cave in on the baby deer.

They finally called the Clark County Fire District 3.  The B-Shift team came out and they were able to move the larger rocks out of the way with the Jaws of Life enough to be able to reach in and pull the baby fawn out and reunited it with its mama.  The fawn most likely was probably stuck in there most of the night and quickly went on to nurse off it's mama.

One of the neighbors took some video clips of the fire department's rescue.  I edited into a short clip.  After sharing it with some friends they thought that it was too cute not to share with more people.  Below is the video of the fawn's rescue!  So heart warming!

License Plate Art

My turkey hunting friend, Sharon, sent me the other day this picture of our license plates that we gave her.  She lives in Tennessee and had met her when she and her hubby were living here for a short time.  Found out she was a hunter also and we turkey hunted for a week together at my hunting club, Jasper Bottom in Claiborne County.  She wanted a Mississippi license plate and we gave her this one off of our old suburban hunting truck.  She's trying to get license plates from different states and put them on her barn in the hills of Tennessee.  I think it looks pretty cool! Thanks for sharing your license plate "art work" Sharon!    

Rolling Up and Down The River

Ron W. Callegan ~ Towboat

Towboat Ron W. Callengan going under the bridges.

A beautiful day in the neighborhood!

Took a picture of this towboat but was not readable.

Another towboat with the name Ingram Barge Co., pushing barges upstream.

Bend in the river at Vicksburg, MS.

Getting ready to make the wide turn.

Went by the overlook yesterday and looked down and the towboat Ron W. Callegen was headed downstream towards the bridges and as that one was going under two more were headed upstream.  The river was abuzz yesterday with the roar of engines pushing barges.  You could even smell the fumes in the air while a train blew it's whistle approaching the old Hwy 80 bridge crossing the mighty Mississippi.  Here are a few pix I took of the river traffic passing by my hometown.

For The Music Lovers Among Us!

Sing like no one is listening!

Interviewed by The Musket

I received an email last month from, Adam, The Musket Creek, who wanted to interview me for a post on his new blog.  He said he was a big fan of my blog and had just started his. It includes a series in which he interviews interesting hunting and fishing bloggers. He thought his readers would find my hunting story engaging and posted it yesterday. When you have time go over and read my interview with The Musket!

My first deer, a six-point buck!  Read all about it! 

Remember Me

A 15 year old girl by the name of Lizzie Palmer made this and put it on YouTube.  This puts to shame the output of a number of Hollywood producers and/or directors.

All I can say is WOW!  This film is the hottest thing on the internet and on Fox News. In case you missed it, here it is.  Please watch all of it and pass it on!

My thanks to all our servicemen and women who are in harms way and serving our country so we can be free and enjoy our lives. May God Bless each and every one and may God Bless the U.S.A.

Rare Birds

Science doesn't seem equal to the task of the how or why with these beauties!

Himalayan Monal

Formosan Magpie

Golden Pheasant

Lady Amherst's Pheasant

Nicobar Pigeon

Quetzal

Wilson's Bird of Paradise

Peacock

Totally rare- no idea!

Teasing Your Dog

I know, I know…we’ve all heard our friends say “this is really funny…”  but hey, this IS really funny (well, if you’re a dog lover, it is).

It’s short and will give you a good morale boost!  “Laughter is good medicine.” 

Be happy and have a great weekend!

Let's Go Walking Across The MS River

Bras for Breast Cancer

Over The River Run

Twenty years ago my youngest daughter, Suzy and I walked across the MS River and it was an experience we will never forget.  It was quite a long walk over and back but the view was fantastic. I would really love to give it one more try.  

It seems like the old Hwy 80 bridge has recently grown in popularity lately according to The Vicksburg Post and it's about time.  It made be unsafe for modern day vehicles, but it's been a mighty fine setting for bikes and tennis shoes this year.  

Event-goers have either ridden bicycles or walked across the 81-year-old span three times this year, and six more special events are planned before year's end, making for the most foot and bike traffic ever on the 81-year-old span, superintendent Herman Smith said.  

"It never used to be like this," Smith said during a Vicksburg Bridge Commission meeting Wednesday.  "The bridge is getting extremely popular."  

A 5K walk to benefit cystic fibrosis research is set for September 10.  The Bricks and Spokes event October 1, put on by the Vicksburg Main Street, features rides of 10, 30 and 50 miles.  The MS Association for Proving Supports to Employment has plans for a walk on September 17, after postponing it in April when the MS River began is historic spring rise.  

Filling out the rest of the bridge's busy schedule is the Over The River Run Oct 8, the Living Independence for Everyone wheelchair event October 29 and Bras for Breast Cancer on November 3. 

Of course, you do have the Kansas City Southern RR that crosses the bridge all the time.  An audit for 2011 showed 284,094 rail cars crossed the bridge from July 2010 through June 2011, up about 6 percent compared to the previous year.  

In 2005, the county and its five appointed commissioners agreed again to pursue a federal grant to convert the road into a recreational area - - complete with 1,200 linear feet of walking space protected by a 30-foot screen to prevent walkers from flying objects from trains and a two-lane bicycle path on the entire length of the bridge.  

Despite the support from 17 public and private entities the project stalled in 2006.  Kansas City Southern RR claimed a park was too unsafe and violated terms of the company's lease prohibiting creation of a hazardous condition along the rail.

Here Comes The Queen!

This was front page news yesterday in The Vicksburg Post of the giant steamboat returning to our city this coming spring.  The American Queen is coming back to our hometown of Vicksburg and spending the night.  This will give tourist more time to shop, visit historical homes and of course, our Vicksburg National Military Park where the Civil War was fought.  I'm so excited and can't wait to hear the calliope playing as it comes in from the MS River down the Yazoo Diversion Canal to park at the waterfronts edge.

Great American Steamboat completed the deal Monday to acquire the American Queen from the U.S. Maritime Administration, and office of the Departments of Transportation, for $15.5 million. American Queen cruses will follow their same historical routes - the entire MR River from New Orleans to St. Paul, MI; the Ohio River from St. Louis to Pittsburgh, and the Cumberland River in Kentucky and Tennessee.  About 35 or 40 percent of the time, the American Queen will stop in various MS ports including Greenville, Vicksburg and Natchez.

The American Queen was built in 1994 and is 418 feet long and about 89 feet high.  It's fitted with 222 staterooms capable of housing 436 passengers, and features a calliope with 37 gold-plated brass pipes, according to the Steamboats.org website.

In years past, passengers disembarked at City Front and were given the opportunity to walk through shops along downtown Washington Street, visit the park, the Old Court House Museum or other sites - but all in one day.

Now, Great American Steamboat Company will purchase blocks of hotel rooms in Vicksburg for its passengers on overnight stays.

The American Queen last docked in Vicksburg November 3, 2008, when it accompanied the smaller Delta Queen on its last trip down the MS.

Great American Steamship plans to spend about $5 million to renovate the boat, announced the Riverfront Development Corp. of Memphis, which manages the Beale Street Landing development where the American Queen will be based.

The details on schedules and costs will be available September 15.

The two other Queens, Delta, an authentic stern wheel riverboat built in the 1920s was sold in 2009 to a Chattanooga company for use as a floating hotel.  The Mississippi Queen had been moored since 2007 at the Perry Street Wharf in Gretna, LA, before being sold for scrap to a private company in 2010 and its fixtures have been dismantled and the boat cut apart.