Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull Volcano

A good friend sent me an email yesterday of the images taken of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano.  Below is one of 35 images that you can see from Boston.com and they are awesome, ominous and beautiful at the same time. 

Lightning streaks across the sky as lava flows from a volcano in Eyjafjallajokul April 17, 2010. (REUTERS/Lucas Jackson)
Click here to see more images!

Josh Grills It All

Last Friday night at Riverfest we stopped at Duff's to relax and enjoy the evening.  There was a guy sitting all alone and Rex invited him over to join us for a drink.  His name was Josh and lives in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana area and a blogger as well.  He told us that his blog is called, JOSH GRILLS IT ALL and it's about grilling but he has not blogged in awhile.  Rex and I both encourged him to pick up his blog and go with it.  He's really a nice guy who enjoys preparing food for others, spending time in the backyard with his dogs and cats and let them eat his mistakes!  We were able to meet up with Josh again on Saturday afternoon at Monsour's at The Biscuit Company and he spent the rest of the day with us.  Go over and welcome Josh and hopefully he will start giving us some more good grilling tips and recipes to share in our great wild outdoors.   You can also follow Josh on TWITTER at - http://twitter.com/JoshGrillsItAll.

Fun All Around

Denise and Rex (red cap) and Bob (with walking stick) far right checking out the flea market.

I love to collect crosses.

What happens at the River stays at the River!

Bob, Denise and Rex stopping for a photo!

Fun for the kids!

Highway 61 Coffeehouse  Rex giving a big wave!

Denise, myself, Josh (our Baton Rouge new found friend), Bob and Rex enjoying a cold beer on tap at Monsour's at The Biscuit Company.

Along with our annual Bluz Cruz canoe/kayak race across the MS River, Riverfest, arts and crafts festival downtown, we also had the YMCA's Men's Pancake Breakfast, two walks for medical research and support, the Alcorn State University Jazz Festival and the Vicksburg Red Carpet Classic auto show.  The weather was perfect for all the festivities.  We were so excited to have our dear friends in from Water Valley, Rex and Denise, to join us for a fun all around weekend.  We ate sugar covered cakes, homemade chocolate fudge, fried green tomatos, shrimp at Duff's, crawfish and more crawfish with all the trimmings at Tony's Restaurant & Lounge and topped it all off with a cold draft beer.  Good times!

Vicksburg Fun

Rex and Denise checking out the food sites.

One of the featured bands playing.

Jason Michael Carroll performing.

Enjoying shrimp and beer at Duff's Tavern & Grille with a new found friend, Josh, who is also blogger from Baton Rouge, LA, that Rex invited to eat with us.

We are having a great time, music on the river, big flea market today, dinner and dancing on tap for tonight. Vicksburg is a wonderful mixture of old and new and if you get the chance to visit, please do.  ----Rex

Jammin' On The River

Today is the beginning of Riverfest 2010 in Vicksburg, MS.  This is an annual spring event that will kick off downtown at 6:00.  On Saturday is the arts and crafts show which is back for the 42nd year.  It's going to be a lot of country, blues, rock, bluegrass and R&B that will blast from the South Stage and should be close to 4 to 6,000 in attendance each night.  Tonight will feature country music singer Jason Michael Carroll and Saturday night will feature blues and R&B artist J. Blackfoot.  To make things really nice is that our dear friends from Water Valley, Rex (Deer Camp Blog) and Denise will be joining us for a fun stompin and eatin weekend.  We are so looking forward to their visit to our river city. Charming, Just Charming!

Hondafast2004 Nature Video

Hondafast2004

Happy Birthday Greg!

Today is my step-son Greg's 43rd Birthday and his Dad and I want to wish him many more happy returns of the day!

Greg is blessed with a devoted wife, Eleanor, and they have a daughter who is very active in gynnastics and golf and a son who loves to hunt, swim and play soccer.  Greg works for Grand Gulf Nuclear Station in Port Gibson, MS.

Happy Birthday Greg! 

Some Great Pictures

Have a blessed day!

Amazing K9 Dog

The K9 is Brutus, a military K9 at McChord. He's huge - part Boxer and part British Bull Mastiff and tops the scales at 200 lbs. His handler took the picture.

Brutus is running toward me because he knows I have some Milk Bone treats, so he's slobbering away! I had to duck around a tree just before he got to me in case he couldn't stop, but he did.

Brutus won the Congressional Medal of Honor last year from his tour in Iraq . His handler and four other soldiers were taken hostage by insurgents.

Brutus and his handler communicate by sign language and he gave Brutus the signal that meant 'go away but come back and find me'. The Iraqis paid no attention to Brutus.

He came back later and quietly tore the throat out of one guard at one door and another guard at another door.

He then jumped against one of the doors repeatedly (the guys were being held in an old warehouse) until it opened.
He went in and untied his handler and they all escaped. He's the first K9 to receive this honor.

If he knows you're ok, he's a big old lug and wants to sit in your lap. Enjoys the company of cats.

Thought you'd find this interesting. Talk about animal intelligence and bonding with humans!

Remember that they can't do a lot of things for themselves and that they depend on you to make their life a quality life!

A PET'S TEN COMMANDMENTS
1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.

2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.

3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.

4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.

5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.

7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.

8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.

9. Please take care of me when I grow old - remember, you too, will grow old.

10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me, please. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so..

~Take a moment today to thank God for your pets.  Enjoy and take good care of them.  Life would be a much duller, less joyful experience without God's critters.

Nature

I want to introduce you to hondafast2004 from Deer Space.com that I just became friends with.  He lives in Indiana and makes really cool videos and I wanted to share them with you.  He is an avid deer hunter/photographer and will be posting his videos from time to time. 

An Eagle Has Landed

Juvenile bald eagle needs funds to fly.

Recently in The Vicksburg Post was an article about a Warren County resident bald eagle needing a bit of financial help in order to fly again.

Plans are to create a 20-by-50-foot cage in an unused outdoor storage space on the grounds of the Old Court House Museum. Pledges to donate labor, materials and half the costs have been made in hopes the larger enclosure will be followed by the eagle, now in a smaller cage, regrowing flight feathers and a tail and becoming strong enough to be freed.

Gilbert Rose, president of Tara Wildlife, a large preserve between Eagle Lake and the Mississippi River, brought the bird to Vicksburg in August after finding it unable to fly and being fed by fishermen.

“The eagle was very malnourished. It couldn’t sustain flight,” Rose said. “It wouldn’t have survived much longer in the wild.”

With an average lifespan of 20 years, bald eagles live near water because their diet depends greatly on fish. The protected species made a return to the region about 25 years ago and nesting sites were spotted near Warren County’s largest lake, named for its shape, not for the birds.

Soon after capture, the eagle spent two weeks at Louisiana State University School of Veterinarian Medicine getting X-rays, blood work and CAT scans, said Becki Bolm, rehabber for Mississippi Wildlife Rescue and Rehab.

“They (LSU staff) are the best, and they have no clue why this bird did not have a tail,” said Bolm, adding not having a tail eliminated the animal’s ability to fly and find prey.

Since being in Vicksburg, the eagle, believed to be a 2-year-old female, has begun to grow a tail and has shown signs of better health, Bolm said, adding she expects the tail to be fully replenished in five months.

“She’s going to be releasable. There’s no doubt. She’s too healthy. Her feathers look too good,” Bolm said.

Before setting the animal free, Bolm said she will study how well the eagle can fly in the new cage.

“She’s going to be so happy in this cage. It’s way overdue,” she said.

While she would prefer an 80-by-100-foot L-shaped cage, Bolm said plans were trimmed to match a projected cost of $3,000 to $4,000. Tara Wildlife has agreed to match donated funds “dollar for dollar,” Bolm said.

Construction on the cage began this past Monday and will be completed after wiring has been attached to the existing frame with clamps, said Joe Bonelli, a construction company owner who volunteered his efforts. “Ms. Bolm said she needed help. We try to do what we can,” said Bonelli.

There are strict regulations and protocols for wildlife rehabilitation. If the bird cannot be returned to the wild, she will become “an educational bird.” Until a decision is made, viewing is prohibited by law in order to limit contact with humans.

An adult female bald eagle’s body varies from 35 to 37 inches in length with a wingspan of 79 to 90 inches. Bolm said the injured eagle is about 30 inches with a wingspan of 72 inches. A juvenile bald eagle, which has no white feathers, is often confused with a golden eagle. They can be distinguished by their legs, which are covered with feathers on a golden eagle and bare on a bald eagle.

Bolm has multiple certifications in wildlife rehabilitation. She cares for about 150 animals per year and her 15-year tenure includes songbirds, skunk babies, beavers, coyotes and deer. The bird from Tara is her third eagle.  (Tish Butts at tbutts@vicksburgpost.com)

Becki Bolm

Cut No More Trees

We have to stop cutting down trees.

This is getting serious.

Warren County Baby Bear

The black bear cub is near its mother's hind leg.

In Wednesday's Vicksburg Post was an article about a baby black bear that was found in Warren County.  The cub was only a few inches long when found on Davis Island in the MS River.  It went on to state that, “Prior to this cub, the last cub was tagged in Delta National Forest in March of 2008,” said Brad Young, Black Bear Program leader for the MS Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.

The federal preserve is north of Warren County. Davis Island, all private property, is south of Vicksburg, and on the Louisiana side of the river, but remains part of Mississippi.

The infant male weighed about 2 pounds when Young discovered it during a routine changing of the 5-year-old mother’s tracker collar last month, Young said.

The department tries to change the collars every two years as well as check for new cubs, he said.

“We’ve checked five females this year, and she was the only one that had a cub. This was her first,” said Young. “He was the only cub that we’ve documented. He wasn’t more than a few inches long.”

Young said the cub will remain with his mother for the next 16 to 18 months before venturing out and will be collared when he weighs about 100 pounds.

“There’s a chance, since he’s a single cub, his growth rate might be faster,” Young said.

Black bears are listed as endanger in Mississippi. Harming them in any way is illegal. Most are found in river counties, including Sharkey, Issaquena and Yazoo. The population in Claiborne County is growing near the Big Black River, Young said.

“Anywhere up and down the MS River, there are bear sightings coming from the wooded area,” said Young. “Other sightings were concentrated in Biloxi and Gulfport."

Davis Island, which includes crop and timberland, bears the name of Joseph Davis, whose Hurricane Plantation was located there. His brother, Jefferson Davis, also had a plantation, Brierfield, on the island and was farming there when told he’d been chosen president of the Confederates States of America. The scene is depicted on one of the Riverfront Murals at City Front.

104 Year Old Movie

Steve, a friend of mine, sent me this cool 104 year old movie yesterday of San Francisco taken four days before the Apirl 1906 earthquake.

This film was "lost" for many years. It was supposedly the first 35 mm film ever? It was taken by camera mounted on the front of a cable car.

The number of automobiles is staggering for 1906. Absolutely amazing!

The clock tower straight ahead at the end of Market Street at the Embarcadero wharf is still there.

Click here to watch this 7 minute movie that will take you back in time and hope you enjoy watching!  (This film was shipped by train the next day to New York for processing)

(I'm also wondering...how many "street cleaning" people were employed to pick up after the horses.  Talk about going green!)

A Buzzing Bee

I took this picture yesterday of this honey bee buzzing around in my flowers.  I had to take several shots before I could get this one which I thought turned out really good.  I decided to enter this picture in our town paper, The Vicksburg Post,  and hopefully they will decide if it's good enough to publish from a reader.

Old Cowboy Advice

* Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight

and bull-strong.

* Keep skunks and bankers and lawyers at a
distance.

* Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.

* A bumble bee is considerably faster than a
John Deere tractor.

* Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.

* Meanness don't jes' happen overnight.

* Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.

* Do not corner something that you know is meaner
than you.

* It don't take a very big person to carry a
grudge.

* You cannot unsay a cruel word.

* Every path has a few puddles.

* When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

* The best sermons are lived, not preached.

* Most of the stuff people worry about ain't
never gonna happen anyway.

* Don't judge folks by their relatives.

* Remember that silence is sometimes the best
answer.

* Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get
older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.

* Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't
botherin' you none.

* Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a
rain dance.

* If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.

* Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.

* The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever
have to deal with, watches
you from the mirror every mornin'.

* Always drink upstream from the herd.

* Good judgment comes from experience, and a
lotta that comes from bad judgment.

* Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot
easier than puttin' it back in.

* If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some
influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.

* Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply.
Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

Winston - Bulldog vs Patrol Car

March 25, 2010 - A Chattanooga Police officer, while running radar at 1410 Workman Road on Sunday night, had his patrol car attacked by a ferocious bulldog.

Officer Clayton Holmes said he had stopped to work on a report when he felt his car shaking. He got out to investigate and what he found was a bulldog chewing on his patrol car.

The dog chewed two tires and the entire front bumper off of the car.

Dogwoods at Old Court House

Back side of museum.

Left side of museum.

Front view of museum.

Right side of museum.

Across the street to get this shot.

Standing at the base of the steps.

Civil war cannon on grounds.

The Old Court House, built in 1858, stands today as Vicksburg’s most historic structure and about this time around Easter, it is in full bloom of dogwoods, surrounding the landmark.  This magnificent building stands in a whole city block and managed to survive the Civil War back in 1863.  Yesterday, I took these pictures for you and if you are ever in Vicksburg, make sure that you stop here, because it is a must see.  The building stands today as an architectural gem and was named one of the 20 most outstanding courthouses in America by the American Institute of Architects. Four porticos, supported by 30 foot Ionic columns flank the entrances. The courtroom on the second floor features a cast iron judge’s dias and railings, and an intricate iron stairway connects the first and second floors.  The original iron doors and shutters remain on the building.  Hope you enjoy the pictures and wishing all my blogger friends a very Happy Easter!

Our 22nd Wedding Anniversary

Today is our 22nd Wedding Anniversary!  Bob and I met at the historic Hotel Vicksburg at a dance in the Coral Room back in 1985 and got married Easter evening on April 3, 1988.  Above is a picture of us taken by each other while sitting on our balcony overlooking the Alantic Ocean at Amelia Island Plantataion in Jacksonville, FL, where we spent our honeymoon. 

Yesterday, I had called in our names to our hometown radio station, River 101, to try and win some prizes.  Well, we won!  The package included a night's stay at Candlewood Suites, a new hotel that just opened last year, an anniversary flower arrangement from Tina's Flowers and Gifts and at DiamondJacks Casino/Hotel, a dinner in DJ's Steakhouse valued at $50.00.  We are very grateful and blessed that we have received the gifts.  Also, a beautiful arrangements of flowers from my Pi Alpha Kappa secret sorority sister.  Bob and I are really looking forward to enjoying our special day and our prizes!

An Incredible Baptismal

My sorority sister sent me this story today of an incredible event in March of the baptism of Valentino Mora, son of Erica, a single mom of 21 who asked the photographer to take a picture of her son for free.

The photo of the baptism of Valentino Mora is sweeping the Internet, because at the time the priest pours the Holy water over his head, the water flows in the shape of a rosary (see photo above).

This story began at the Parish of the Assumption of Our Lady in Cordova, Spain where the baptism of a one month baby took place. At the time that Valentino came to the baptismal font for the sacrament of baptism, Erica asked the photographer Maria Silvana Salles, who was hired by other parents baptizing their babies, to take a photo of her son as a favor, since the young mother had no way of paying for it. The photographer, moved by Erica's request, agreed to take a photo of Valentino.

Maria Silvana works with a traditional camera and had to send the film to be developed to a shop in Cordova. When she received the photos, she noticed with surprise that the water poured from the head of Valentino was a perfect rosary.

The photo of the baptism of Valentino has awakened faith in the people of Cordova who come to the humble home of Erica and Valentino Mora to touch him.

The truth is that this sign of faith has mobilized this town in Cordova, whose neighbors go to Maria Silvana's store to buy the picture as if it were a prayer card.

This is a REAL Lenten Blessing!

Amazing Chainsaw!

I figure that this guy has the chain saw thing pretty much figured out!  (Double click on picture to get a better view)

Thanks Editor!