Fall Festival @ Vicksburg

Our hometown of Vicksburg is having our annual fall festival starting today and tomorrow and looks like a lot of fun for the whole community.  Bob and I will have a booth around the Old/New Court House Museum area selling his copper trees and also his acrylic oil paintings.  Downtown will also have fun activities for the children, musical entertainment, sidewalks sales and some fall fresh vegetables at the Farmers Market starting at 10:00 a.m.  A bike ride through historic Vicksburg and the U.S. 80 bridge over the Mississippi River for Saturdays Bricks and Spokes ride if you love biking. We have to be at the old/new court house area at 7:00 in the morning to get set-up and will start at 8:00 a.m., until 5:00 p.m.  I will be taking pictures to post on my blog for all to see. The weather will be absolutely beautiful for the occasion and as they say in the South, COME ON DOWN!!! 

Finger Monkeys

If it wasn't for the Internet...would you have seen or known about these little creatures?   I never heard of them and was sent to me via email.  I just had to share them with you.  They are so cute!

They are native to rain-forest of Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia.  Finger monkeys are, as a matter of fact, pygmy marmosets.  They are also known by the names "pocket monkey" and "tiny lion".  This cute little primate hugs and grips on to your finger so tight that it pulls your heartstrings and you wish you could take it home with you.

Count Your Blessings

Below is a dashboard camera view of the March 11th Japan Tsunami.

Yu Muroga was doing his job making deliveries when the 11 March 2011 earthquake hit in Japan. Unaware, like many people in the area, of how far inland the Tsunami would travel, he continued to drive and do this job.  The HD camera mounted on his dashboard captured not only the earthquake, but also the moment he and several other drivers were suddenly engulfed in the Tsunami.  He escaped from the vehicle seconds before it was crushed by other debris and sunk underwater.  His car and the camera have only recently been recovered by the police.  The camera was heavily damaged but a video expert was able to retrieve this footage.

Watch here - this is so scary!

Dog - Free To Good Home

Whether you own a dog or not, you must appreciate the efforts of this owner to sell her dog.  Read the sales pitch below!

Dog - FREE TO GOOD HOME

Free to good home.  Excellent guard dog.  Name is Jethro.

Owner cannot afford to feed him anymore, as there are no more drug pusher, thieves, murderers, or molesters left in the neighborhood for him to eat.  Most of them know Jethro only by his Asian-street-name, Ho Lee Schitt.  

Lake Travis Is Drying Up

The drought out in central Texas has caused Lake Travis to dry up.  Here are some pictures that was sent to me last week by a friend who lives in Dallas.  The nearest town is Austin, TX and they really need some rain.   

See for yourself!

Happy 39th Birthday Suzi

Today is my youngest daughter, Marian Suzanne "Suzi," 39th birthday.  Here she is with my granddaughter, Emma, taken last Easter on an Easter Egg Hunt.  She was born at approximately 8:05 in the morning and was my fifth child.  I called and sung Happy Birthday to her in Virginia while my granddaughter listened in.  Her husband, Dennis, took her out last night to The Bavarian Chef Restaurant and had a great time and said the food was delicious.  This morning he was fixing her a breakfast of pancakes.  Looks like she has her birthday off to a very good start.  I love you Suzi and thinking of you on your very special day!  xxoo

Busy Busy Mississippi

Martha Lynn getting ready to make the turn in the bend of the MS River heading south towards the bridges.

Yesterday, we drove by the Louisiana Circle to see if there were any towboats passing by and saw this one above headed south downstream with a big load.  Took this picture above while she was making the turn in the bend of the river.  As she was making her way I decided to walk around the circle and take a few pictures on the hill behind the circle.  You have the Widow Blakely cannon and a few monuments and a very good advantage point on top of the hill of the river's view.  I took a picture of one of the monuments and it looked like he has been kissed a lot.  Finally, towboat, Martha Lynn, made her way in front of us.  Looks like she had called ahead for supplies and a small boat was coming up beside her.  They usually slow down by the time they get near the bridges and its safe to load the supplies.

Widow Blakely canon on top of the hill overlooking the Louisiana Circle.

The Widow Blakely was a British built gun delivered to the Confederacy. It was the lone Blakely at Vicksburg. The gun was on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River and firing on the Federal gun boats. On May 22, 1863, a shell exploded in the muzzle splitting the end of the gun. Two feet were cut off and the piece was then fired as a mortar. The Widow Blakely had a 7.44" bore.

Somebody has been kissing Toby!

Captain Toby Hart

(Relief Portrait of Louisiana Artillerist)

Towboat, Martha Lynn, making her way pass the lookout circle.

Up-close shot of Martha Lynn towboat.

Looks like she had ordered some supplies.

Approaching the bridges the towboat, Martha Lynn, slows down for the delivery.

M/V Samuel J. passing by Vicksburg heading north today.

When we got to the overlook circle today a towboat was passing by and I did not get the name but the M/V Samuel J. was fast closing in on it.

M/V Samuel J. making a turn as we head back home near Diamond Jacks Casino.

Don't Mess With An Elk

Estes Park, Colorado - and we think geese on a golf course are a problem.  Check this out!

Click on  - BIG GAME

Closing Work-Day Camp Pix

Hershel, Rex's Dad, showing me where the pond was planted with millet and I asked him where was the water and he looked up at the sky and pointed towards heaven and said...he was waiting for the Good Lord to produce rain for the ducks.  There are two pond stands located here.    

Herschel showing me a clump of peanuts that he pulled up from the 500 acres that was planted to be harvested soon.  As Rex puts it...should attract every varmint within 200 miles to snack on and there ought to be a hog killin of monumental proportions that will prove to be very interesting.  

Hershel and Bob enjoying a break and a cool breeze.

Bob took this picture of Rex and I relaxing after a work day at the Christmas Place.

Dying embers at the camp fire before we left.

Rex took this picture of us before we broke camp.  Picture of him with the guys can be viewed at his Deer Camp Blog site.  From left to right, Bob, myself, Paul, Terry, Hershel and Tommy.

Warren County Record-Breaking Alligator

This past Saturday a new alligator weight record was set here in Warren County.  

The MS Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks said that a 690.5 pounds and 12-foot-7-inch alligator (60-1/2 inches around at the belly and 42-3/8 around at the tail) was caught on private land (Belle Island) near Eagle Lake in Warren County.

The alligator was caught by Jody Fortenberry, Jake Ponder, Clinton Sennett and Brian Jackson and is the largest to be certified.  According to the MDWFP's alligator program, there were a couple gators last year that would've easily topped out over 800 pounds, but couldn't get them weighed.  

Jackson, whose name is on the hunting permit, will be considered the record-holder by the MDWFP.  There's no doubt, however, that landing the gator, nicknamed, "Gus" by Belle Island's members, was a team effort.

Alligator hunting on private land is open September 9 - October 3.  There are 83 permitted private properties within 25 counties open to alligator hunting.

Private land within the open counties must contain at least 20 acres of privately owned surface water to quality for an alligator harvest vouchers.  Each application requires special documentation and landowners permission.  The deadline for the applications was July 1.  (Photo source MDWFP)

From left, Clinton Stennett, Jody Fortenberry and Jack Ponder.

Beautiful Work Day @ Camp!

When we got to the camp everyone was out and soon came in and had breakfast.  I had gotten up early and cooked deer sausage and buttered biscuits for the guys before I left home.  They all enjoyed and later took off to do some more work in the fields.  While they were gone I tackled the house whole chores.  Bob did not go with them this time but stayed behind to help me and later he took a nice long nap on the sofa.  The dogs, TRIGGER and CAMO were left at the camp.  Below are some pictures I took around the camp off and on while taking breaks.

While out on the patio taking a break CAMO joined me.  She looked so pitiful and sad because her master ran off and left her behind.

TRIGGER and CAMO followed me back behind the camp house for a short walk.

Backyard of the famous Christmas Place.  A lot of wood/brush piled up for campfires at the far right. 

Mushrooms all over the place.

Pretty spider lilies on the front lawn of the old witches house. 

Bricks left over from the old witches house built in 1903, according to Rex, but was demolished this year.  The old home was located just to the right of the camp on the side of the hill.

The hanging rack I'm sure will be loaded down this coming deer season with deer and hogs.

Hershel, Rex's Dad, coming in from working on one of the many fields.

On Our Way To Camp

Just as we were approaching our turn off to the right we got behind this huge John Deere farm equipment.  He was wobbling all over he road.  Thankfully, he kept going and made my turn.

We saw rows and rows of cotton at the edge of the hills. 

Turning onto Christmas Rd. with more cotton fields.  

A city girl don't get to see cotton everyday!

On our way to the famous Christmas Place Plantation and Hunting Camp for a workday weekend on the edge of the MS Delta.  (To be continued)

Sunday Swamp

I love swamps and stopped this afternoon to take this picture on our way home from spending a day and night at the famous Christmas Place in the MS Delta.  This swamp is located near a big interchange and have always enjoyed the mysterious beauty of it.  (Click on picture to enlarge)