Thursday, January 31, 2013

South By Day, North By Night

The Mississippi River was opened up yesterday after a four day shut-down but with restrictions as single-file boats moved north and south.
 
M/V T. Y. Dolese making it's way south this afternoon around 4:45.

M/V T. Y. Dolese

Heading under the bridges in the bright sunlight!

At Riverwalk Casino where M/V T.Y. Dolese has past the bridges near the accident.

Austin Golding, the marketing, sales and customer service manager for Golding Barge Lines of Vicksburg, said his company is pleased traffic is open but the past week has been challenging.

"It's pertinent that we get all this product to where we need it to go.  It's just one more challenge we've had to face the past three years," he said, referring to the record flooding in 2011 and drought in 2012.

The tough decisions today and in coming days will be which tows to move to the front of the line for passage through Vicksburg, where vessels are being limited by the U.S. Coast Guard to single southbound tows during daylight hours and single northbound vessels at nighttime.

Congestion on the river, Golding said, even after it's fully open, will have lingering effects.

"It'll be a while before things are normal because of the number of tows that are backed up," he said.  "Even if the restrictions are lifted, the number of tows backed up just makes it more difficult."

Since traffic tentatively reopened Wednesday, 17 southbound tows with 268 barges and 23 northbound tows with 294 barges had cleared the 16-mile stretch of the river that had been shut down since Sunday when a barge tanker carrying 80,000 gallons of crude oil hit the U.S. 80 bridge and began leaking.

The number of vessels is down from a peak of 60 boats towing 1,000 barges in queue early Wednesday morning.

Towboats/barges involved sitting up against Louisiana shoreline.

Crews working to contain the oil spill.

Small boat coming towards the Riverwalk shoreline.

A close-up. 

M/V T.Y. Dolese near Riverwalk Casino as the small boat pulls up nearby.

Close-up view of towboats/barges up against the shoreline on the Louisiana side that was in the accident.

Looking north towards the I-20 and Hwy 80 bridges at Vicksburg, MS.

The current and potential wakes vessels will cause is the reason for the limited traffic, officials said.

It's basically because at night, they have to go slower because they're going against the current," said Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew Schofield.

For the southbound traffic, they're going with the current, so we're advising tow operators to be bottoms down to allow the current to carry them and make sure they're not carrying additional weight."

At the site of the oil spill, workers continued today to skim oily water, and pouring it into another barge.

Crews have skimmed about 7,650 gallons of oil and water, About 7,000 gallons of oil are estimated to have leaked.  After the oil is cleared, crews will work to remove the barge from the shore.  The vessel will have to be checked for water integrity first and then go to a nearby facility for assessment.

A Coast Guard helicopter dispatched 50 miles downriver Tuesday found no evidence of oil or any environmental impact.

Matt Stuart - The Vicksburg Post

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Night Time Flowers

I went outside last night and took some pictures of my Japanese Magnolia flowers because a severe storm was predicted coming in from the west.  To my surprise I thought they turned out really well just using my flash. 

We were spared the brunt of the storm but today the wind is so high that it's blowing some of the flower petals off.

This morning before the winds picked up!  

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Mississippi River Shut Down


The Mississippi River was shut down about 1:00 a.m. Sunday when two barges hit the U.S. 80 bridge over the river.  The barge, part of a southbound tow, continued south before being corralled about 3 miles south of the bridge, on the western bank of the MS across from Riverwalk Casino.  The barge was carrying 80,000 gallons of crude oil, and a sheen on the muddy river water was noticeable by daylight Sunday. 

Nearly 1,600 gallons of a greasy water mixture had been skimmed from the MS River where a damaged crude oil barge continued to leak this morning, U.S. Coast Guard officials said.  

"What we're trying to figure out now is the exact amount that is unaccounted for," Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Lally said this morning.  

As cleanup operations continued, official were eyeing a severe storm system expected to hit tonight between 9 and 3 in the morning with high winds and possible tornadoes.  The high today was 79 degrees and The National Weather Service is saying this is a rare set of  events.    

Flags blowing in the wind at the Mississippi Welcome Center at the bridges.

WAPT-TV Channel 16 News truck parked at the visitor's center.  They were getting set-up to broadcast.

This is the bridge that the two barges with oil hit.  

Flag atop old Hwy 80 bridge at Vicksburg, MS.

I-20 bridge at the back of the Mississippi Visitors Center sporting flags and civil war cannons.

The towboats, M/V Natures Way Endeavor and General sitting on the west bank of the Mississippi River today.  The river is closed 8 miles south and north of Vicksburg.

In this aerial photo, five tows with barges sit in the Mississippi River north of the Vicksburg-Tallulah Regional Airport at dusk yesterday morning.   Melanie Thortis ~ The Vicksburg Post

Monday, January 28, 2013

Youth On The Hunt

Landen Malone, 13, killed this 11-point buck while hunting with his grandfather, Glenn Wells, on family land in Claiborne County.  He used a 7mm-08 to take down the 220-pound buck from 250 yards.  The buck's rack measured 24 inches on the main beam, 22 inches inside and had a 7-inch front tine.  Landen is the son of Mel Malone and Heather Wells Clark.

Cole McLeod shot this 7-point, 153-pound buck while hunting with his father, Bo McLeod, in November.  The deer had a 15-inch spread.

Brothers Zane and Peyton Flaharty each took a deer within 15 minutes of each other while hunting on private land in southern Warren County. Zane, 11, killed a 7-pointer and 6-year-old Peyton's first buck was a 3-pointer.  The brothers were hunting with their grandfather, Steve Reed, and father, Paul Flaharty.

My congrats to all the hunters above in our great wild outdoors!  So proud of each one of you!

Sunday, January 27, 2013

My Happy Birthday Picture & Millie

My daughter, Kathy, took a birthday picture of me in our backyard with our new adopted dog, Millie.  I have had a very nice birthday today at 72 years of age. Kathy came over this morning and prepared a delicious Birthday breakfast for me, baked me a lemon cake and gave me three new tops to wear with my jeans.  I heard from all my four daughters, family and friends.  I am truly blessed and thankful to have live another year!   

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Interviewed By The Vicksburg Post

This past Wednesday I received an e-mail from Steve Wilson, Post Sports Editor of The Vicksburg Post, for an interview.  I had sent in my picture of my doe I had harvested on January 5 at the famous Christmas Place Plantation and Hunting Club the Monday before.  My husband had insisted that I send it in and I finally gave in thinking that it would be placed with the other hunters in Friday's section of, On The Hunt.  I was pleasantly surprise to see a very nice write-up of my interview per Steve the next day.  Below is a copy of the article that appeared on the front page of the sports section of our paper.

Many thanks to Steve who really made my day a very happy and exciting one!

Click on the article to read

Friday, January 25, 2013

Meet Millie

This is our new "adopted" dog, Millie.  Millie's owner is in a nursing home now and she does not know her.  Millie was given to her when she was diagnose with breast cancer as a puppy about 8 years ago.  We loss our dog of 12 years about 2-1/2 years ago and decided to take Millie in and give her a home.  She is a very sweet girl and looks like she will fit right in with my husband and I.  Looking forward to many walks with her and enjoying her company!  

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Has Spring Sprung?

I can't believe that our Japanese Magnolia bush/tree is budding out already.  We had a dusting of snow last week and now this!!!  Maybe we are having an early Spring from the looks of it or Global Warming!

 This morning - Spring Has Sprung?

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Kevin's Great Pope & Young Buck!

Olive Branch's Kevin Medlin officially took the top archery spot in Mississippi's Magnolia Records with this 173 2/8-inch Pope & Young deer he killed back in November while hunting in DeSoto County.

The score sheet, courtesy Rick Dillard of Magnolia Records, with measurements to  the nearest 1/8 inch:

• Inside spread: 21 7/8.
• Right side
• Main beam: 28 2/8.
• Tine lengths — G1 2 5/8; G2 11; G3 12 3/8; G4 8.
• Circumferences: 5 3/8; 4 5/8; 5 2/8; 4 6/8.
• Left side
• Main beam: 27 5/8.
• Tine lengths: G1 1 6/8; G2 11 1/8; G3 10 7/8; G4 9 5/8.
• Circumferences: 5 4/8; 4 5/8; 5 1/8; 4 6/8.
• Abnormal points: Right side —2 inches (off brow tine) and 1 1/8 (off G3); left side 3 6/8 (off G2).
• Deductions: 11 7/8 inches (6 7/8 abnormal points, 5 inches symmetry).
• Typical gross score: 185 1/8 inches
• Nontypical gross score: 192 inches.
• Net typical score: 173 2/8 inches, NEW STATE RECORD.


Read all about his amazing hunt here from Mississippi Sportsman!

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Blue Hunting For Prevention Of Child Abuse

Ricky Wood from Parsons, Tennessee, contacted me recently and said he would send me a free T-shirt to promote and tell all my friends about this wonderful cause for child abuse prevention.  Just as pink is for cancer, blue is for the prevention of child abuse, he said.  We enjoy hunting and fishing so why not take this to another level and promote this worthy cause.

He has a NEW website up at http://www.bluesportsoutdoors.com and it's an organization dedicated to raise awareness for the prevention of child abuse.  You can also buy clothing and a % will go to programs that support it.

I'm asking you, if you would, to please support this worthy cause!  We must help and save our children...they need us!



Monday, January 21, 2013

Happy "47" Birthday Kathy

Today is my little cowgirl's 47th birthday!  She really looks sharp in her outfit at 4 years old.  Wishing my daughter, Kathleen Love Day, a very Happy Birthday! May her day be full of happiness and her year full of joy!  With much love, MOM

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Vicksburg Youth On The Hunt


Siblings Kyle and Kayla Foster both bagged deer this winter.  Eight-year-old Kyle shot a 7-pointer while hunting with his grandfather, Hugh Guest.  Kayla, 12, took down her deer in December.



Vicksburg resident Parker Waites took down this 9-point buck on January 6 in Bentonia, while hunting with family friend Ronnie Ingram.  Parker is the son of Kearney and Stacey Waites of Vicksburg.

My congrats to all the young hunters above in our great wild outdoors!

Friday, January 18, 2013

Working On The MS River

On January 12, 2013, the M/V William P. Morelli, making it's way towards the bend in the MS River as we drove up.    

A close-up view of the M/V William P. Morelli with a large load.

M/V W. J. Authement, following close behind.

M/V W. J. Authement must be a working boat.

As we drove by today the M/V Pat Voss was racing down the river.

A small supply boat appeared to be picking up speed trying to catch up with the M/V Pat Voss.

Getting ready to unload supplies for the M/V Pat Voss.

M/V Gladys Ford making her way towards the MS River bridges at Vicksburg.  View of the Vicksburg Riverfront Park below.

M/V Glady Ford loaded down....

...with riprap.

M/V Gladys Ford sporting the America flags.

Getting ready to head under the MS River bridges at Vicksburg.