Merry Christmas & Happy New Year Bloggers

I will be spending Christmas and New Year with my family in Virginia and want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2024!  

Santa @ Farrell Hall

Yesterday, after Mass at St. Paul's Catholic Church, a Christmas meal was given to the parishes at Farrell Hall. Of course, Santa was there to greet the adults and children. I was joined by my sister and brother-in-law. As I was getting ready to leave, I wanted to get a picture with Santa and was going to stand beside him, and he asked me to sit. I was not expecting that and was pleasantly surprised. It's been a long time since I have sat on Santa's leg to tell him what I wanted for Christmas. I knew Santa from working at the Corps of Engineers, and we go way back. It was all fun and memorable.  

Merry Christmas to one and all!

Happy 81st Birthday Laura

I wish my only sister, Laura Love Ables, a happy 81st birthday today! I treated her to her favorite restaurant, El Sombrero, last year, and we are headed there today to make more memories.

Here are some fun pictures I took of her enjoying a drink, meal, a Mexican Birthday song, a shot and back home to enjoy her cake, and ice cream. We had a great time and look forward to next year and do a repeat.

Looking forward to next year!!!

Love ya, Sis!!

Nineteen Point MS Buck

Big 19-point buck grosses 190 inches, could be Boone & Crockett Club typical after deductions.

Griffin Gatwood said he’d never laid eyes on the buck until Oct. 4, despite having trail cameras out on a piece of Adams County hunting land for quite a while.

At first glance, he thought he was certainly a nice one, maybe 140 or 150 inches. But he was hunting other big bucks on other pieces of property, so he didn’t just jump up and start looking for the new arrival right away.

But when he kept showing up every afternoon between 4:30 and 5, well, that got the attention of Gatwood, a 21-year-old Mississippi State engineering student from Hattiesburg. So on Oct. 28, when the wind direction seemed right for the place where the trail camera was set up, he decided it was time.

About 3 hours later, he was standing over a 185-pound, 190-inch buck.

My congratulations to Griffing in our wild Mississippi outdoors!!

Thanksgiving 2023

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving at Jane's (grandmother/great-grandmother) home in Jackson, MS, with my daughter, granddaughter, grandsons, three of five great-grandsons. and her extended family. Pictures of three great-grandsons, Monkey Shining, with my Air Force Grandson, tree climbing. I'm truly blessed to have family and extended family to be with. A delightful and memorable Thanksgiving Day 2023.

Happy 34th Birthday, Stephen

I wish my oldest grandson, Stephen, a Happy 34th Birthday today. I love you so much, and may you have many blessings on your special day!

Gran Gran

Happy Thanksgiving Bloggers!

 The Gifts They Leave Behind!

In all things, Give Thanks!

The Love's New Forever Home

Last Saturday, my nephew, Bubba Love, and his wife, Cassie Jo, moved into their forever home north of town and were invited to come and check it out the next day.  Here are a few pictures of their lovely new home next to a lake with deer running everywhere.  

Beautiful scene from the back of the house on top deck.

Lapdog Hank sits on the bottom deck in Cassie Jo's lap

Man of the house, Bubba Love.

Bubba and Cassie Jo's family's new home.

My great nephew, Oliver, and me!

Reminder To All Hunters

This reminds all our hunters of a few facts to remember this season. Here are a few things we’ve learned over the years as we constantly push to raise the bar:

1. Deer does not require aging or (hanging) in a cooler like beef because venison is lean meat and does not retain water like beef. You change the flavor and gain tenderness as the meat decomposes. This makes for a tender steak with less flavor, not a fresh ground burger. 1 to 2 days in a walk-in cooler is all that’s needed.

2. Please do not soak your meat. Blood is in the veins, not the muscles. Myoglobin is the red/pink you see in the muscles. A Muscle is similar to a sponge that soaks up the water in the ice or icy water drained every few days and makes tasteless steaks and wet burgers. Do your steaks absorb marinade? Why wouldn’t it absorb that water it’s soaking in? Google search washing meat in water.

3. If you MUST put venison in a cooler: To have great-tasting meat, place your venison in a bag and then in a cooler to keep the meat cold and dry.

4. The wild game taste you get at other processors results from them leaving some tallow/fat behind, trying to cut corners. While you can hide it from the eye when you grind it all up, you are left with the game taste. If you want bland, tasteless venison, buying chicken is cheaper. Instead of making the perfect environment for a Bactria bath, your meat is soaking in. Again, just Google or research washing meat in water.

All rea

Proud of Grandson & Granddaughter on Veterans Day

My Grandson, Staff Sergeant Michael (Ethan) Kelly, is serving in the U. S. Air Force and has been in the service since October 2, 2012, to the present.  He graduated from basic military training on December 2, 2012, at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, TX, and is now stationed at Grand Forks AFB, ND.  

My oldest granddaughter, Sonya Michelle, a Navy veteran, graduated from boot camp at Great Lakes, IL, in 2001. She was stationed at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA, and had an honorable medical discharge. 

I am honored and proud of both of my grandchildren for their sacrifice and bravery in serving our country.  May God Bless all our servicemen and women, and may God Bless America!

Deer Interview

Highlights of Great-Grandson Ian's 16th Birthday!!

Here are some highlights of celebrating my great-grandson Ian's 16 birthday yesterday on the sandbar at the Mississippi River in Vicksburg. Family and friends celebrated his birthday, and I had the best time riding the four-wheeler with Ian and later with his Dad, Jamie, and two great-grandsons, Will and Noah. It was a perfect photo op for me!