Saturday, December 31, 2022

Ten-Point @250 Pound Drop Time Buck!


Vicksburg resident Chelsey Elqadi took down a 10-point 250-pound drop time buck earlier this week.

Chelsey scored at 160 inches by Vicksburg taxidermist Michael Fuson, and she got the buck in Copiah County.

My congratulations on a fine buck!  Chelsey is from my hometown of Vicksburg, Mississippi!  So proud of her!!!  Buck of a lifetime!

Friday, December 30, 2022

Back at it


Coming through my hometown of Vicksburg, MS, to get on a towboat to work.  MarkTwained (Pilot)

Thursday, December 22, 2022

A New Friend


The four-year-old went outside to play and came back with a new friend.

Thursday, December 01, 2022

Saturday, November 26, 2022

Thankgiving 2022

I spent Thanksgiving with my daughter, granddaughter, grandson, two great-grandsons, and family on the farm in Hinds County. We all enjoyed our meal and afterward went outside to walk around, and all of a sudden, Will (great-grandson) started screaming. He had just been stung by nine yellow jackets in a boat that he climbed up to play. He is alright, but it was a terrible moment to see that happen to him. Later, we all calmed down and enjoyed eating the desserts. I took some pictures of Noah, who wanted to go outside and sit on the porch to eat his Great Gran Gran's Banana pudding. 







The notorious boat.  The nest was in the back of it.





A family picture was taken with Lucy (granddaughter) holding Will, Noah, and Debi (daughter). Standing, myself, Stephen (grandson), Jane (grandmother), Matt (her son), his wife Felicia, and Kylie, the dog.  

Saturday, November 19, 2022

My Godchild's Buck


I'm so proud of my Godchild, John Kirk Ring's nice buck that he got three days ago in Kansas.  He lives in West Monroe, LA, as a professor at the university there.  He previously lived in Kansas before moving back closer to home in Vicksburg, MS.  He has a set of twins (boy and girl) and an older son.  They are all hunters also, except for the girl and her mom.  Congratulations to Kirk on his nice buck in our great wild outdoors.

Monday, November 14, 2022

Ian & The Fox

My granddaughter Victoria sent me this picture of my great grandson Ian with a fox he shot running at 75 yards.  She said the fox had been feasting on several of their chickens on the farm and also had break-ins.  He is happy to help keep the predators at bay on the farm.  You go, Ian!  

Congratulations!!!

Theresa Marie (Teri) 59th Birthday!


My oldest daughter, Theresa Marie "Teri," is 59 years old today. Her Senior Class picture was taken back in 1981, having graduated from St. Aloysius High School. She has one daughter, Sonya Michelle, who is 38 years old now and served our country in the U.S. Navy. My daughter lives in Magee, MS, having retired as a nurse. I wish her a very Happy 59th Birthday, and may she have many more returns of her "special" day! I love you so much! MOM  xoxo

Tuesday, November 08, 2022

11-3-2022 Vicksburg, MS Mississippi River drought continues - Low water ...


My hometown of Vicksburg, MS. I have lived here all my life (81 years) and have never seen it this low.  

Sunday, November 06, 2022

Hog #204 & 9 For The Year

My Facebook friend, Kareen Beinhauer of Texas, killed another hog last night. This is her story, in her own words.

I was out by 7:37 pm. It was so comfortable I actually dozed off, and when I looked, the hog was there. His butt was facing me, so I had to wait until he turned a little, and when he did, I took my shot, and down he went. He was still breathing a little when I walked up to him, so I put another in him for good measure. The measuring tape showed he weighed about 210, but I didn't take my glasses, so I couldn't really see all that well, but I will remeasure in the morning. His tusks were not very big either, but who cares? I got a hog. That makes # 204, 9 for the year. Pics to follow. Yippee! This one is in memory of my niece, who passed away this Wednesday. This one's for you, Melanie! RIP and fly high, girl! Love you!

Some daytime pics & Jack sure was happy to chew on a hog again.




My congratulations to Kareen on a job well done! Way to go!

Saturday, November 05, 2022

Hope It Was Quick!

 


Poor fella, it saddens me to see this horrible way to go. I hope it was quick.

Friday, November 04, 2022

Happy 15th Birthday Ian


Today, my great-grandson Ian is 15 years old.  This picture was taken last hunting season down on the farm.  I'm looking forward to seeing him this evening to celebrate his birthday at the bowling alley.  Wishing him a very Happy Birthday on his special day.  I love you so much!  Gran Gran

Saturday, October 22, 2022

Good Lord Willing , The Water Will Rise

The picture was taken yesterday from RiverWalk Casino in my hometown of Vicksburg, MS. The latest stage as of yesterday was 0.46 ft., today's forecast is 0.40 ft., last year's stage was 13.68 ft., and the flood stage is 43 feet.
 

This Mississippi River at Vicksburg is at its lowest in a decade, and the water's steadily decreasing.

What does that mean for Vicksburg?  Well, for one, it means our maritime industries are stretched thin.  At Golding Barge, for example, they have to light-load, meaning they're loading more barges with less product to allow the crafts to travel through the shallows.

In Vicksburg and Warren County, if it's not the river that brings in business, it's the tourists. Companies that depend on cruise boat traffic from the river will also be squeezed over the next month as river levels continue to descend.

With Viking's large passenger capacity suddenly absent from the River City for the first time and American queen also adjusting its routes due to the low water, it might be time to support those businesses - like our downtown merchants and museums, for example - that could take a hit from the lack of foot traffic.

The lack of tourist traffic from the boats also means fewer people witness the best parts of our historic city.  With their tour busses full of people from across the globe and the smiling faces looking forward to welcoming them to the Hospitality State, it's at the very least a shame that they'll have to miss out on Vicksburg.

The Mighty Mississippi is a storied body of water with a mind of its own, and it's playing games with the way of life of residents who don't need their lives to be more difficult.

So, over the coming weeks, the best thing to do is to pray for those whose livelihoods depend on the river and its whims, patronize the businesses losing revenue to decreased traffic, and pray that somewhere a little upriver, rainfall will bring the water back where it needs to be.  

The Vicksburg Post










I took random pictures of the Mississippi River in my hometown of Vicksburg, MS. The latest stage yesterday was 0.46 ft., today's forecast is 0.40 ft., last year's stage was 13.68 ft., and the flood stage is 43 feet. M/VSandpiper is northbound, and M/VLiz Sloss is idling at RiverWalk Casino while waiting for supplies (groceries).

Wednesday, October 19, 2022

Happy 38th Birthday Candace Lynne


Today is my second-born granddaughter, Candace Lynne's 38th Birthday.  Wishing her the best birthday yet, and I love you so much and miss you too!  Hugs!  Gran Gran

Monday, September 19, 2022

Leaving On A Jet Plane


Leaving on a jet plane early tomorrow morning to celebrate my youngest daughter's 50th Birthday next Sunday in Virginia.  Can't wait to see her and my family.  I have four daughters and now have all four of them in their 50s.  I'm so blessed to live this long to see this.  


Happy 50th Birthday, Suzi!  I love you, MOM.

Sunday, September 18, 2022

Paddling with Dale "Grey Beard" Sanders on 19 July 2022

An 87-year-old Memphis man shows he is truly young at heart after reclaiming his place as the oldest person to paddle down the Mississippi River in a canoe. He came through my historical civil war town of Vicksburg, MS, on his way to stardom!



Congratulations, Dale Grey Beard Sanders!

Friday, September 16, 2022

Massive "Dump Lake" Alligator Caught With Pliers

 

Tyler Emfinger of Bentonia and Trey Davis of Flora used pliers to land this 13-foot, 2-inch alligator weighing 617 pounds.

A massive alligator weighing 617 pounds and measuring 13 feet, 2 inches gave a pair of Mississippi hunters the slip two nights in a row. Facing the same possible outcome the third night, the hunters turned to something odd for help — pliers.

"We saw lots of smaller gators and one that's about 12 feet," said Tyler Emfinger of Bentonia. "I'd been chasing him three days straight, so we weren't trying to catch anything but him.

"We had hooked him two days in a row. He went under logs and pulled off. It was very frustrating."

On Sept. 2, the alligator wasn't where Emfinger and hunting partner Trey Davis of Flora expected to find him. He'd been spotted in the same general area of Dump Lake the previous nights, but it appeared he'd grown tired of the hunters and relocated. So, the hunters moved along, too.

"We went east to the other end of the lake," Emfinger said. "It's hard to get into.

"There's a lot of weeds and grass. The high water had killed a lot of the lily pads, so there's some open areas. Once you break through it, it opens up."

More:Mississippi alligator hunters bagged a new state record. It could be 100 years old

'That was my goal, to catch a 13-footer'Hunters land massive 635-pound alligator

Same alligator, same scenario

That's where the big alligator was. Emfinger cast at him, but missed and his hook became tangled in weeds. The alligator submerged.

Emfinger's light was turned off, but it was a moonlit night and he soon saw a wake on the water's surface. Seeing where the alligator was going, the two moved the boat to get ahead of him.

"As soon as he turned sideways I cast and hooked him," Emfinger said. "He went under.

"He just slowly pulled us along and then he took off. He went under some logs again and laid down. I could see bubbles coming up, so I knew where he was."

Emfinger was in an all too familiar predicament. He was on one side of the logs and the alligator on the other. He also couldn't slide his rod under the logs and grab it on the other side.

"If there's room under the log you can run the rod under it to the other side," Davis said. "There's so many logs in that lake, it's common to deal with that. There was no clearance to get the rod under it."

More:How did artifacts, thousands of years old, turn up in a Mississippi alligator's stomach?

'I was very suspicious':'I was very suspicious': Fishweir, possibly hundreds of years old, found in Mississippi

Pliers to the rescue for alligator hunters

The two moved so they could grab the line on the opposite side of the log. Davis then wrapped the line around the handles of Channellock pliers and secured it. They cut the line between the pliers and the rod, tied the ends of the line together using an Alberto knot and the fight resumed.

It wasn't the first time the hunters had resorted to the trick. Davis also had tags for alligators and the two found themselves in a similar situation the previous night.

"I'd shot a 10-foot, 5-inch the night before," Davis said. "He did the same thing.

"He went under a log. Tyler said, 'Grab something to wrap the line around.' That was the only thing we could find to wrap the line around to keep it tight. That's when we learned that. We did it two nights in a row and we were two for two on that. It was a huge gamble, but it paid off."

Emfinger got his gator, but now he had another problem — it was bigger than he thought and bigger than his boat could handle.

An alligator too big for the boat

"He was way bigger, way bigger," Emfinger said. "I knew he was the biggest one I've ever killed.

"We couldn't get him in our boat. I have a 14-foot, V-bottom Jon boat."

Fortunately, Emfinger had a friend who was also hunting and was in a bigger boat. It almost wasn't enough, either.

"It took four of us to get him in the boat," Emfinger said. "It was a 19-foot boat and it took on about a foot of water.

"We had three people on one side and the gator and the back corner went under. I thought we were about to sink it. We had to bilge it out."

So, with a little luck, the help of friends and a pair of pliers, Emfinger finally landed his biggest alligator to date.

"It was a miracle in the making," Emfinger said. "That's for sure."

Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.

Thursday, September 15, 2022

Sunday, September 11, 2022

We Remember


We Remember

8 EMT's/Paramedics
60 Police Officers
343 Firefighters
2,997 Civilians

We remember those that lost their lives and those who gave their lives.
We remember every rescuer who died in honor.
We remember every family that lives in grief.

We will NEVER FORGET!

Friday, September 09, 2022

Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary


April 21, 1926 ~ September 8, 2022

Thursday, August 25, 2022

Just A Squirrel Trying To Get A Nut

This buck was munching on what I can only assume is that squirrels stash because the rodent would dash left to right trying to stop the burglary.

Dom Gatto Wildlife Photography

Wednesday, August 17, 2022

In Memory Of Tricia My Former Next-Door Neighbor


My former next-door neighbor, Patricia "Tricia" Reid, moved to Columbia, SC, about 5 years ago to be close to her son and his family. She was living in a complex that ended up her having bedbugs. A week ago, she moved into a lovely apartment building where the above picture was taken and her last shot.  

She is responsible for my blogging. I used to read her blog, 
Tricia Dishes, and thought, why don't I start a blog? I enjoy deer hunting, so this is how this blog started. It was a website at one time, and later I transferred it into a blog called Marian's Hunting Stories, etc., so my website was called A Dixie Lady Deer Hunter. I still have it, but I post mainly hunting memes, etc.

It was so sad to hear from her son, Christopher, that she had passed away sometime Monday morning in her sleep.  

Imagine they will bury her here in Vicksburg since she most likely will be buried next to her husband, David. If so, I will post her obituary here at a later date.

August 18, 2022 (Christopher Reid) Son
Hello again, all. This is Christopher once again. I wanted to update you since a few folks have reached out asking about service and funeral arrangements. My mother wanted to be cremated, so today, we worked with the funeral home to make these arrangements. In light of this, there will be no immediate services for now. Still, we will plan to hold a celebration of her life sometime in the next few months, most likely one here in Columbia, SC, and another in Vicksburg, MS. We will make sure to update everyone once we get some details hammered out. Thank you all for your kind words and memories. It's so lovely to see the love for our mom.

Patricia Reid was born February 4, 1954, in Vicksburg, MS, where she lived most of her life. She died peacefully in her sleep on August 15, 2022, in Columbia, SC.

She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law Christopher and Katie Reid of Columbia, SC, and their kids Caleb (12) and Safi (5), her daughter and son-in-law Erica Reid Gerdes and Fuzzy Gerdes of Chicago, IL, and her sister Linda Antoine of Vicksburg, MS. Tricia was preceded in death by her husband David in 2007 and her parents George and Juanita Bane.

Tricia loved her family, friends, classic rock, Jason Momoa, and all animals--especially cats. Called Mama Reid by many, she and David provided a safe space in their home for many friends of Christopher and Erica in Vicksburg. in the 80s and 90s. They were especially known for their New Year's bonfires and for taking their kids to see live music.

During the last week of her life, Tricia made many new friends and ate many delicious meals. She was excited about the future.

Christopher and Erica take comfort in that their parents are now reunited and are likely making each other laugh, which was their favorite activity in life.

A memorial will be held at a later date.

Donations can be made in Tricia's memory to the following organizations:

Humane Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - https://humanesc.org/

NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness - https://nami.org/Home

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.dunbarfuneralhomedevine.com for the Reid family.

Friday, August 12, 2022

Bear Cub Transported to Rehab Facility After Hit By Vehicle


Units from the Warren County Sheriff's Office responded to a report from a driver who said they had hit a bear cub on Saturday at about 4 p.m on Highway 465 near Eagle Lake.

It occurred while the area was experiencing torrential rain.

Sheriff's Department units and Lt. Lee Harvey of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks arrived on the scene.

The bear cub was recovered by Harvey and transported to a wildlife rehabilitation expert.  Sheriff Martin Pac said the injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.