It's Turkey Time

Dalton Morgan,10, took his first turkey March 16 while hunting with his father in southern Warren County.  The turkey had a 6-inch beard and was shot from 35 yards away.  Dalton is the son of Brian and Jaclyn Morgan.  Dalton is one happy kid in our great wild outdoors!  My congrats!

Monty McGuffie shot this 20-pound turkey March 22 in Claiborne County.  The gobbler had seven beards measuring from 5 1/2-inch to 11 1/2-inches in length, and also had 1 1/4-inch spurs. 

Monty is also a taxidermist who mounted my very first 8 point buck.  His mother and I are good friends and worked together for the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers.  We have also deer hunted at my old hunting ground, Jasper Bottom Hunting Club in Claiborne County.  I'm so very happy for Monty and congratulate him on his fine gobbler!  

My Youngest Granddaughter

Yesterday, I received in the mail two pictures of my beautiful granddaughter, Emma.  She is my youngest of all my grandchildren and will turn 5 years old in July.  In fact, my daughter, Kathy and granddaughter, Lucy and I, are flying to Virginia to see Emma and will arrive on her birthday which will be celebrated on the weekend.  Kathy and my granddaughter, Lucy, have never flown before and will be an adventure for them also.  We are all looking forward to visiting our family and can't wait for July to get here because we are set to GO and sitting on GO!

Birds and Bees and Butterflies, Oh My!

Can't Judge a Book By It's Cover

These two are headed for stardom - So happy for them!  Beautiful and fantastic!

Take A Two Minute Break

Barely Missing the Buoy

Pictures were taken, Thursday, March 22, 2012 at the Louisiana Circle overlook, Vicksburg, MS.

I have never seen a towboat come in under the bridge so near the Louisiana side headed north before. He came very close to the buoy and thinking that he should have been on the other side of it.  As soon as he passed the buoy he pushed outward towards the middle of the river to get ready for the turn in the bend. This is what you call cover top hopper barges per Dennis who rode this towboat under the name of Navigator up and down the Mighty Mississippi.  

The towboat - M/V Paul Klausen.

 Pushing his empty cargo of containers!

A little tugboat was following behind.  

Azalea Picture Published!

Marian Love Phillips said she knew spring was here when this azalea in her yard burst into bloom.

I had sent this picture in last week after the "river rat" picture and was surprised that they published it so soon in today's paper.  I never had one published back to back.  Photos are published by readers if it is current and of interest to the public, either because of their subject matter or their oddity, or the photographic skill shown.  It is usually put above the CLASSIFIED Section of the paper but this time was in the TOPIC Section.  I'm always humbled when I have any of my pictures published in our paper, The Vicksburg Post.

Finally In Full Bloom

Our azalea bush is finally in full bloom!  

Beautiful!

Old River Bridge Pier Was Hit

Yesterday morning about 5:45 a.m., the towboat Jeffrey G. Stover was pushing south when 33 of 35 barges broke loose from their tow and some hit a pier in the middle of the old Hwy 80 bridge.  Herman Smith, bridge superintendent, said it was on the video, but could not tell what was going on because of the darkness.

Train traffic was also halted and was not expected to resume until the pier was inspected.  About 665 train cars daily usually cross the bridge, the only rail crossing between Memphis and Baton Rouge.

The Jeffrey G. Stover is owned by AEP in Cape Girardeau, MO., Smith said.

All of the scattered barges had been recovered by mid morning.  One barge had drifted 12 miles downstream near LeTourneau landing.

"We've got everything caught and pushed up to the bank," Smith said.  "Everything is accounted for."

Two barges on the tow were heavily damaged and will take days to repair, Smith said.

The Mississippi River level at Vicksburg yesterday morning was 33.3 feet, flood stage is 43 feet.

The strike was the first one this year and the last recorded strike was July 7 of last year.

Note:  The towboat of the M/V Linda Taylor that I posted recently has never been uploaded on, 
Dick's Towboat Gallery, and he told me via email that he would post my picture of it in the near future on his site.

  M/V Linda Taylor

Some Sunday Pictures

Last Sunday, as we approached the Louisiana Circle overlook, my daughter Debra was coming up from the Riverfront Park.  She and my granddaughter, Lucy and her friend, Ayla, were going on a picnic by the Mississippi River but the park was full and no picnic tables were available.  While we visited at the overlook, I took some great pictures of my granddaughter.  Here are a few that I wanted to share and after they left to go to the Mississippi Welcome Center, the M/V Towboat Linda Taylor came by with her load and got some pictures of her passing by Vicksburg.

I love this one!  She is standing up on a wooden barrier and the blue puffy sky made a perfect background.

Lucy is using this as her Facebook profile pix.

Lucy and Ayla

This is pretty as a picture postcard.

M/V Linda Taylor passing Vicksburg.  Note the man in a red shirt standing on deck looking up towards us while talking on a cell phone.

Heading south going under the I-20 and old Hwy 80 bridges @ Vicksburg, MS.

Strong Turkey Season in Parts of State

A wild turkey walks in a Vicksburg neighborhood.  State biologists think this turkey season could be a good one.

In Monday’s paper was an article about this being a great spring for turkey hunters in east central and southwest parts of MS, but hunters in the Delta should be cautious because spring floods kept hens from nesting last year, says the state Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.

This year’s 2-year-olds may be the only adult males around in the Delta, turkey biologist Adam Butler told other media outlets.

“For the third time in the previous four years, the MS River flooded much of the low lying areas of the Delta during the height of the spring nesting season,” said the 2012 turkey report posted on the department’s website.

Partly because numbers already were down in the area, the annual survey couldn’t even predict how many were likely, it said.  It said there may have been a moderate hatch outside the flood zone but few or no chicks within it.

The 2011 spring turkey season was one of the worst in years.  Butler said this year should be better.

The spring season opened March 15 and runs through May 1.

The report said Northeast Mississippi had relatively low hatches in both 2011 and 2010.

East Central and Southwest MS both have had strong hatches for several years.  The 2010 hatch was one of the best on record in the Southwest region, but only about one hen in three hatched a brood last year, it said.  It said the survey indicated very good 2010 hatch in Southeast Mississippi but fewer then one in four hens there hatching a brood last year.  (The Associated Press)

Picture Published Again!

Marian Love Phillips took this photo of a "river rat" at Louisiana Circle overlook above Riverfront Park and the Mississippi River.

Back in February, I drove by the Louisiana Circle overlook to see if there was any river traffic and nothing was in view.  I suddenly saw something in a tree that caught my eye and zoomed in and took this picture of a squirrel that I called a "river rat." Every time I have a picture published in the paper I am most humbled and thankful.  The picture was a nice size in order to view the squirrel sitting on a limb with the bend of the river in the background.  Photos by readers are placed in the classified section and called, Give Us Your Best Shot! The photos have to be current and of interest to the public, either because of their subject matter or their oddity, or the photographic skill shown.  The photos also have to be accompanied by a compete caption information.  

Networking With Business Cards & Pamphlets

Here's a collection of pamphlets and business cards while networking at the Warren County Wildlife Extravaganza which was held this past Saturday, March 17, 2012.  I was very impressed with the wildlife event and it will be held again next year.  Check over the pamphlets and cards and visit the sites for more info on their products.  You may find something that just might interest you! (Click on each for better viewing)

https://www.facebook.com/rex.holmesjr 

https://www.facebook.com/rex.holmesjr 

Fun Wild Time

Yesterday, Bob and I attended the very first Warren County Wildlife Extravaganza hosted by the Warren County Baptist Association at the Vicksburg Convention Center.  It was a great success!

It brought back memories for me to enter the convention center again because I was one of the first employees to moved into the building after it was constructed approximately 12 years ago.  It was a great part-time job after retiring from the Corps of Engineers after 25 years service.

I was very pleased to see such a great turnout for this wildlife event.  My husband and I usually have to go out-of-town to attend an event like this and was refreshing to have it here in our hometown which was free to the public.  Seminars were also held on Wildlife Habitat Management, Area Lake Fishing Strategies, Snake Species of MS and Feral Hog Management, throughout the day.  Bluegrass and Church music also entertained.

The Bowfishing Association of Mississippi let children to try their hand at bowfishing to promote the 2012 Youth Tournament that will be at Eagle Lake Public Boat Landing on June 16.

A guest speaker put the finishing touches on the event and after his presentation a Mathew's Z7 and Mathew's Genesis Bows were given away and you had to be present to win.  I was really lucky to win a free oil change up to $35.00 from George Carr dealership from where we had purchased our GMC Sierra truck.  Below are some pictures I took while walking around the wildlife show.

Vicksburg Convention Center

Bob checking out Delta Outfitters display booth which is located Hwy 61North bypass.

One of many deer mounts.

All kinds of farm and hunting vehicles.

Bob talking to a knife maker, Bill Mangum of Handmade Custom Knives.

mangum.bill@yahoo.com

Bobcat

Never seen a giraffe mount before.

This lion was taken here in Mississippi in a sanctuary that is now closed.

Red Fox

A nice zebra mount.

Superior Outdoor Supply LLC of Bay Springs, MS

S.O.S.

"Hi-Rise Hunter"

Troy Davis

601.214.9880

www.superioroutdoorsupply.com

(Be sure and check out their video)

Ducks flying in the convention center.

Bob with Smokey the Bear!  

Little Charlie, with a painted deer on his face, will soon be a member of the Love Family.  His mom, Cassie Jo, will marry my nephew, Marion "Bubba" Love, III, next month. at the Old Court House Museum.

In Memory of My Mother

February 11, 1921 ~ March 17, 1979