Missing My Dad

Marion Edward Love, Sr.

June 12, 1916 ~ November 6, 1987

Picture was taken by my 2nd husband, Bob Phillips, a few weeks before he passed away.  I love and miss him very much...

Happy 26th Birthday Sonya

(Sonya's picture looks antique looking without the flash)

My oldest granddaughter, Sonya is 26 years old today.  She lives in Magee, MS, and came to Vicksburg to spend some time with family today.  It's hard to believe that Sonya is 26 years old.  She has served time in the U.S. Navy, attended MS State and Southern MS Universities and loves theatre and languages.  Her hobbies include photography and making videos of her animals and nature.  Wishing her many more happy returns of the day!  Gran Gran loves you so much!

Sonya Michelle

Sonya and I on her 26th birthday.

Vicksburg's Young Anglers

Hamilton Ragland, age 10, caught this 8.5-pound largemouth bass in a private pond near Yazoo City on Memorial Day.  The fish was 26 inches long.  He is the son of Chat and Kim Ragland of Vicksburg.

Vicksburg native Karen Alexander caught this monster 12-pound, 27-inch long largemouth bass in a private lake in Warren County on an artificial worm on June 1.  Congrats to our young fishermen in our great outdoors.

A Big Big Shotgun

How redneck is this?

Some Stunning Pictures

My cousin, Gretchen, in New Orleans sent me these stunning pictures the other day and wanted to share them with you.  It will surely bring a smile to your face!  Have a blessed Thursday everyone!

Louisiana Black Bear Dead

A Louisiana black bear, an endangered animal, was found dead on the shoulder of I-20 near Tallulah about a week ago, officials said.

Mike Hook, who is the large carnivore biologist with the LA Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, said his department picked up the body of the 13-14-year-old bear after a report to the Madison Parish Sheriff's Department.

"It was a marked bear that had been caught about 14 years ago," he said.  "It was partially decomposed, bu the person who picked it us said he was guessing it weighted up to 500 pounds."

Hook said this bear probably had roamed from the Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge near Tallulah or it might have been heading that way since there is a large habitat in the area.

This kind of road hill is common for this time of year based on two events, Hook said.

"Mothers that have yearling bears are weaning their bears and sending them on their own," he said.  "Females tend to stay close to their mothers.  The young males go everywhere.  They are the equivalent of a 13-year-old boy.  They wander off.

"The second," Hook said, "is that it's breeding season.  The big males are doing the same thing, but they have a purpose in life - they're breeding.  Most of these road kills are males, usually adult males."

Last year, Hook estimated nearly 30 black bears were killed by vehicles.  So far, he is aware of three, including the carcass near Tallulah and two in south Louisiana.

"You never know where a bear will get hit," he said.  "More often than not, there are no accidents reports." 

The bears' skulls are preserved for study.  Hook said.

Black bears, omnivorous animals, are listed as endangered in Louisiana and Mississippi, and it is illegal to harm them.

In Warren County, a Louisiana black bear was spotted on Davis Island in the Mississippi River earlier this spring.  Brad Young, Black Bear Program leader for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, has said the black bear population is rising.

About 120 live in the state, up from about 50 in 2002. ~The Vicksburg Post

Deer Drops In For Dinner

Saw this article in our paper last night and if you missed it...a deer shows up at a New York eatery.  The deer was not on the menu but customers at a western New York restaurant got an up-close look at some venison on the hoof. 

Management and customers said a deer crashed through a window at an Applebee's in Batavia just after 7 p.m. Sunday.

Customer Bruce Beck, who was visiting from Wisconsin, says the deer nearly slid into the booth next to his before veering away and running thought the restaurant.

Witnesses say people were able to herd the deer out the front door.  No one was hurt.

Dog 'n Deer Video

My classmate, Gordon, sent me this cute video of a lab.  He said that labs think life is one big game and everyone wants to play.  Well, don't they? 

Watch this cute video of a lab and deer and a ball! 

Let's PLAY BALL!

It's According To Where You Live

Deer that live in our Vicksburg National Military Park are in a wildlife sanctuary.  This picture was taken by Marty Kittrell, a well know photographer here in Vicksburg.  He gave this picture to me at a flea market last year and was so touch by his gift.  Go and check out his site, Marty Kittrell's Photos of Vicksburg and surrounding towns on his blog.  You will be glad you did.  I have never seen a deer in the park and have lived here all my life but have seen a lot of turkeys.  The wildlife are very safe here and as the saying goes, it's according to where you live in the great outdoors.

This pictures was in The Vicksburg Post today and was taken by Marcie Brasfield of Alabama.  She was on a tour of the park when this doe stood nearly as still as the statue of General Ulysses S. Grant behind it.  Mary Louise Nosser of Vicksburg, a guide escorting Brasfield and her parents on the tour, submitted the photo.

History Comes Alive!!!

Photos by Katie Carter & David Jackson ~ The Vicksburg Post

Clockwise from top, Bryce Richards, 12, fires an Enfield rifle during a demonstration; Crawford Street is one of the paths of the walking tour; the Texas monument is near where a group from Texas will be camped this weekend; and Pemberton's Headquarters.

The Vicksburg National Military Park is the happening place this weekend.  It is chopped full of tours, demonstrations, cannon firing and book-signing. 

If you can go...

Cannon firings:  The park's Living History volunteers fire cannon each Friday through Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., with an additional firing on Saturday at 9:30.  On the same days, musketry demonstrations are from 9: a.m. until 4 p.m. 

Artillery demonstrations:  Valverde Battery, 12th Texas Artillery;  9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Saturday and 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Sunday at Fort Garrott, Stop 14, on the South Loop; rifle demonstrations are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m both days.

Walking tours:  Rangers will give 30-minute tours of the historic district; beginning each Friday and Saturday and Sunday at Pemberton's Headquarters.  Admission included in park admission.

Book-signing:  Edwin C. Bearss and J. Parker Hills, "Receding Tide: Vicksburg and Gettysburg, the Campaigns That Changed the Civil War"; 4:30 until 6 p.m. Saturday at the USS Cairo.

Park admission:  $8 per vehicle and valid for a week: $20 for annual pass. 

Spills

I don't normally post anything political but a friend from Port Gibson, MS, Dennis, sent me this the other day of a very impressive political cartoon.  He said, “Puts a lot in perspective, doesn’t it.?? I still want to know just how did and why the Deep water Rig blew up in the first place. Who..? How..? Why..? And YES! I am naturally Paranoid. But I assure you, not delusional.

Shelby, A Lady Hunter

This is Shelby Holland, a lady hunter, who came to my blog and left a comment the other day on Making Herself At Home post.  She's 23 years old and a newly wed.  She has a blog called, The Hollands, and has been posting for two years.  Shelby and her new husband live in Oregon and she works as a Patient Access Specialist.  I look forward to all her hunting adventures and hope to post them on my blog. I also want to encourage her to join our Outdoor Bloggers Summit to get support and meet other blogging hunters in our great wild outdoors.  Besides deer she loves hunting elk, duck, go fishing, hiking and spending time with her family and three adorable dogs.  I look forward to getting to know her and wish her GOODHUNTING for next hunting season.

PS:  From Shelby:  I grew up in a family where my father hunted. I wasn't active in it at all, and when my I met my husband all of that changed. He grew up hunting, everything that moved. :) I had never shot a gun up until 5 years ago, and he started me out with a .22 rifle. It was fun to go shooting and to actually hit the thing I aimed at. I have yet to kill a buck, but I have taken my fair share of ducks, grouse, and a skunk {my first kill}.

16th Birthday Party Scenes

Ethan received a new fishing pole for his birthday.  He also got a lot of money so he can go out and buy what he wants.  Ethan passed to the 11th grade and is in the ROTC Program.  His desire now is to join the Marines when he graduates.

His sister, Lucy with Molly!

Grandsons, Stephen, Ethan and Carl standing in front of Stephen's car.

Lucy with her best friend, Kelsey.  Kelsey is also a deer hunter like her Dad and has harvested deer.  Lucy will take her Hunters Education Course this year and hopefully, will get to go to the annual Youth Hunt at the famous Christmas Place Plantation and Hunting Club in the MS Delta this November.

We are all singing Happy Birthday...I think he's blushing!

Aiden, Ethan's half brother.  He had just hid from me and got this shot in as he was taking his hands off of his face.

Great grandson, Ian, with some Happy Birthday cake on his face and shirt!

Happy Birthday Ethan

I want to wish my grandson, Ethan, a very Happy 16th Birthday today!  The above picture was taken last November at the famous Christmas Place Plantation and Hunting Club during a Youth Hunt weekend.  While we were waiting for Rex, his son, Spencer and daughter, Erin to come from their stands, Ethan wanted me to take his picture on Rex's 4-wheeler.  It was a great fun weekend for all the young hunters.  Ethan has never harvested a deer yet but he will one day.  It's just a matter of time.  Wishing him many more birthdays to come.  Gran Gran loves you!

A New Fishing Blogger

A few days ago a comment was left on my site by a fishing blogger by the name of Bill.  I went over and checked out his blog and it is really nice.  He hails from Jasper, Alabama and is a former Mississippian.  His blog is called Fishing Through Life.  Bill is an avid fisherman who started fishing with his dad when he was five years old and has never known life without fishing. He loves the great outdoors and a very good reason that he has enjoyed fishing all these years. He said that it is the greatest therapy in the world. When he's on the water he forgets about everything else except landing that elusive trout, bream, crappie or bass.  I also mentioned to him about our Outdoor Bloggers Summit and hopefully he will join and meet fellow fishing bloggers alike in our great wild outdoors.

Mo Deeres

Watch me Mommy!!!

Hey you! That's there for ME!!!

Slurp... (A young buck getting his minerals)

(Compliments of D. Robert (Dave) Quick)

Lots-O-Deer

Da whole gang including the neighbors!!!

Finally, a doe!

Mom!!! Those coons are eating it all up again...!!!

Received these pics back in April from my friend, Dave, in Indiana from his trail cam.  These are his comments on his deer pictures.  Thought I would share them with you today so you can start thinking about deer season early, as if it had ever left your mind!  Enjoy!

D. Robert (Dave) Quick

I want to Finish Well

I want to end this race
Still leaning on His Amazing Grace

Member: Community Christian Church
Member: Pilots 4 Christ
Member: Christian Outdoor Fellowship of America
MY WEBSITE:
HANDLOADING FOR HUNTING
MY DISCUSSION FORUM:
HFH DISCUSSION FORUMS

Top Town for Sportsmen

Vicksburg has been named among the top destinations in the country for sportsmen.  Outdoor Life magazine ranked Vicksburg 160th in its third annual "America's Top 200 Towns for Sportsmen."

"To be honest with you, I thought we'd be a lot higher than that," said Eddie Buckner, owner of Delta Outfitters.  "I have friends who come and hunt with me from all over the country.  They go other places and (Vicksburg) is where they love to come the most." 

Buckner said Vicksburg has many opportunities for sportsmen with fishing and "second-to-none" turkey, duck and deer hunting.  "Hunting is a way of life down here," he said.

Bill Seratt, executive director of the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the city attracts sportsmen from across the country.

"There's so much public hunting, fishing and nature-viewing land here that we have seen an increase in the number of nature-based, both consumptive and non consumptive, visitors from all over the country," her said.  "We have produced a nature guide that has all the public lands within a 30-or 40-mile radius of Vicksburg.  People request that from the website and call for our brochure all the time."

Towns were ranked based on more than 20 criteria, including the gun-friendliness of each town's state, the number of hunt able and fish able species nearby and the town's proximity to public land and waters.  Quality-of-life factors, such as cost of living and the unemployment rates, were also considered.

Vicksburg ranked No. 146 last year in Outdoor Life, which has a circulation of 800,000.  The other two Mississippi towns on the list are Pascagoula (149th) and Greenville (168th).  Rapid City, S.D. topped the list.

"Vicksburg should be No. 1 in the state," said Jerry Johnson, owner of Chotard Landing Resort.  "It has more to offer than Pascagoula ever dreamed of."

Still, Johnson added, he thinks Vicksburg's inclusion of the list might draw more sportsmen to the area. 

~The Vicksburg Post

U.S. Coast Guard MIL Academy

I was recently contacted by the U. S. Coast Guard Military Academy and was asked to show you some of there cool footage of both graduates and enlistees.   

A channel was also set up on Daily Motion - as well as some videos from the Academy for Day in the Life as shown below.  

Would you like to win a nice prize from the United States Coast Guard? 

Go to this link at:  http://www.gocoastguard.com/being-a-guardian/guardian-profiles  and you will see that there are 6 coast guard reserves profiles on the website. The first two people to name the reserves on this page will win a prize.  The first person that gets the question right will win a sweatshirt and the second person a t-shirt.  The winners have to live in the U.S. and no P.O. Boxes are allowed for shipping addresses. 

Grandson In Swim Meet

Vicksburg Swim Association members from Vicksburg Catholic School are, from row, from left, Connor Clark, Slade Kingston-Miles, Bree Butler, Bekki Johnson and David Osburn.  Second row, from left, Gabe Riveros, Stephanie Riveros, Dixon Stone, Blaine Butler, Katelyn Brock, Christie Johnson, and Michael Corbin McClain.  Back row, from left, Wally Wibowo, Cicily Chiarito, Zoe Kinsella, John Phillips, Andy Bell and Morgan Stone.  Other student members are, James Trichell and Thomas Trichell.

My step grandson, John Phillips, will be competing in the Stamm Family Invitational which is a swim meet in memory of Alan Ebersole on June 4-6, 2010.  Alan was a Princeton sophomore of Vicksburg and graduated from St. Aloysius High School and a member of the University's Men's Swimming and Diving team.  He died in an accident (broke his neck on a submerged rock and drowned) in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast and was 20 years old.  His grandparents are our neighbors and the swim meet will be only a couple blocks away at the City Park.  Bob and I wish John good luck in the swim meet. 

Making Herself At Home!

Our new cat, Allie Cat, has made herself at home.  She is less skittish now and hanging around everyone even, Katie, our peek-a-poo.  She is a sweet cat and has found another favorite spot in the front bedroom.  For some reason she will not drink water out of her feeding bowl but will run like a flash of light when you turn on the water faucets in the kitchen or the bathroom and jump up to drink water.  I need to check this out with the previous owner....Strange!

Memorial Scenes At Union Cemetery

Bob and I took an afternoon drive through the Vicksburg National Military Cemetery yesterday and I took a few pictures so you could see the many flags that adorned the graves.  The cemetery encompasses 117.85 acres and includes over 18,000 interments. Graves of Civil War soldiers total 17,077, of which 12,909 are unknown. An additional 1,280 graves are occupied by soldiers who participated in the Indian Wars, Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, and the Korean Conflict.  I have a distant relative, Mazerat, on my fathers side of the family, that is buried here.  This is a must see if you are ever in Vicksburg.

To the right coming into the cemetery is the The USS Cairo, a Union ironclad commanded by Thomas O. Selfridge, Jr., was named for Cairo, Illinois, and commissioned on January 16, 1862. On December 12, 1862, in the Yazoo River north of Vicksburg, Cairo struck two underwater torpedoes (today called mines) sinking in less than 12 minutes with no loss of life. Preserved by mud and silt, Cairo sat on the bottom of the Yazoo River for 102 years. It was raised in 1964, and later restored.  All the artifacts off of the boat are on exhibit inside the Cario Museum.  An obelisk monument is seen in the background.   

  

 A wreath was laid at the cemetery.

  

At an angel monument engraved on the side - William G. Trindle, Died, October 11, 1878 - Aged, 8 years and 14 days.  Margaret B. Trindle, Died, November 6, 1878 - Aged, 4 years, 10 months and 16 days.  On the front it reads:  John Trindle, Born Cairewellas, Ireland and Died in Chattanooga, TN - Charlotte Riggs Trindle, born Bessbrook, Ireland and Died in Chattanooga, TN.

Bob spotted this squirrel at one of the graves as we were leaving the cemetery.