Photos On Grounds Of Old Court House Museum Saturday

Here are some photos I took the morning of Saturday, April 13th before our beloved historic city of Vicksburg, MS was struck by three confirmed tornadoes.  Enjoy the pictures.  

History Of Old Court House Museum

Varina and Jefferson Davis

Jefferson Finis Davis 

President of the Confederate States 1861 ~ 1865.

Varina Howell Davis

First Lady of the Confederacy

To be continued...

I'm Back Online After Tornadoes Hit Town

We had three confirmed tornadoes to hit my hometown of Vicksburg, Mississippi, Saturday, April 13th.  Around 5:00 my lights went out and just came back on this morning.  It was very scary with the winds hitting up against my windows and took cover in the bathroom.  

Last Saturday morning I went down to our Spring Flea Market around the Old Court House Museum and took a few pictures that I will share today.  I guess with the impending severe weather forecast here for the afternoon, there were not too many vendors out and it was a shame.  I was looking forward to the flea market that only comes twice a year around the Old Court House Museum. 

I'm standing at the Old Court House Museum and looking out at the New Court House.  Usually, vendor stands are packed on both sides of the street.   

On one side of the Old Court House Museum in one city block.

A lady walking her dog.  The only picture I got and usually try to get more pictures of the animals.  

The food court behind the Old Court House Museum.  Mike sitting in a chair announcing fried pies for his church bake sales.  

The Old Court House Museum

Massive columns all around the museum. 

I will have more pictures to share tomorrow... 

Great Wolf Lodge Indoor Water Park Fun

Last weekend my two granddaughters, Kate and Emma went to Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, VA as a surprise and fun get-a-way with their parents.  It is an indoor water park and they had a blast.  I love this picture taken in their cabin bunk room at the lodge.  I'm looking forward to seeing both of them in June with Mom and Dad coming to see family in Mississippi and Louisiana.  I can't wait!

Riverboats & Viking River Cruises

Riverboats America and American Queen came yesterday with their passengers to tour our historic civil war town of Vicksburg, MS.  I took this picture looking down from Washington Street with the riverboats moored behind The Old Depot Museum.   

Another view of both riverboats from the top steps of the Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum.  Later Amerca traveled northbound to Greenville while the grand American Queen travel southbound to Natchez and onto New Orleans, LA.  The American Queen will return next Friday, April 19th for another full day of passengers touring our town. Tomorrow the American Duchess will be here with passengers and Sunday, America will return southbound.

The Pending Arrival

It looks like the riverboat business may be getting ready to pick up with the announcement from The Board of Mayor and Alderman yesterday signing a letter of intent with Viking USA to lease a section of the riverfront to the cruise line to dock its cruise boats.  It may well be in the vicinity of where the two riverboats above are moored.  The company expects the first boat in their fleet to be completed in 2021 and the second boat in 2023.  This is a win-win situation for Vicksburg:  The Key To The South! 

Happy 6th Birthday Kate!

Today, I'm wishing Katherine Elizabeth "Kate" a very Happy 6th Birthday!  Kate is my youngest granddaughter of six precious granddaughters and today she turns the big 6!  Kate lives in Virginia and will be visiting family in Mississippi and Louisiana in June with her Mom, Dad and big sister, Emma.  I can't wait to see my family since they live so far away.  I will call Kate later today when she gets out of school to wish her a very Happy Birthday.  I miss and love you so much!  xoxo  Gran Gran  

Great Grandson With Granddaughter & Grandson

It was so great to see my Great Grandson Will, Granddaughter Lucy and Grandson Stephen at the Knights of Columbus Spaghetti Dinner this past Sunday.  

My Grandson Stephen holding Great Grandson Will before we ate.

I was lucky to get this up-close picture of my Great Grandson William David "Will" this past Sunday.  What a precious child he is.  I wished he did not live so far away in another city in MS.  

One more picture before we all left to go home of Will, Stephen, and Mom Lucy.  I'm so lucky to have four daughters, six granddaughters, three grandsons, and four great-grandsons.  God has truly Blessed me.

Deer & Birds

The Grand American Queen Back In Town Today!

The Grand American Queen's passengers spent the whole day touring our historic civil war town of Vicksburg: The Key To The South!

After I took the picture of the Queen, I turned around and could see the Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum with landlocked M/V Missississippi IV. 

While taking this picture you can see a towboat en route to the Port of Vicksburg in the Yazoo Diversion Canal. 

This picture was taken behind the river wall and the flooding has receded some but will come back up with all the snow and ice that has to come down from up north. 

A picture of the American Queen taken from the Children's Art Park at Catfish Row before I left the riverfront.  The American Queen is northbound to Greenville, MS on her next stop.

Testimony By Hunter Lance Patton

Two years ago today, April 2, 2017, the day my life changed forever. It was opening weekend of turkey season, a weekend I look forward to all year. But something was wrong, terribly wrong, with me. I left the house finally and killed a turkey, but rushed back home. I knew I had to get to a doctor, soon. Taking the advice from several local physicians, I ended up at St Thomas. I went through the ER to speed things along. After several tests, three doctors came in the room together, with solemn faces. They'd found a very large mass on my colon. Without offering any options other than keeping me comfortable, one asked if he could pray with us. I said yes, but I don't remember the prayer. I left mentally for a bit, trying to understand what they had just told me. When the one praying finished, I asked, "so I'm dying? and there's nothing that can be done?" The one that had prayed over us said, "it appears very serious, we may be focusing on just keeping you comfortable..." So naturally, I didn't take this very well. I'm thinking, "I'm 35 years old, I have a wife, a baby girl, a new house, my whole life ahead of me. I can't die! What will they do?" But one of the older doctors finally spoke up, interrupting the tears, and said, "all hope is not lost, son." Well, I can tell you right now, that all of mine was. You can't explain the feelings you have about dying to someone who's never been told they're dying. But one thing happened to me that I feel happens for most, your world gets very small, very quick. I spent the rest of the day alone with my wife in a hospital room and that's all I wanted at the time, other than having my, then 3-year-old, a daughter with me, but she didn't need to see me or my wife like we were. We were blubbering messes. Not really speaking, just processing and praying, when a young surgeon walked in that night out of the darkness. He asked how I was doing, I told him I was dying. He said, "you know, I think we can fix this. I think we can fix you, and you're going to be just fine." Naturally, after the day I'd had, my wife and I were speechless and very confused. He said, "I don't need those tests tomorrow to tell me what I already know is going on here. I'm scheduling you for surgery three days from now, and I think I can fix you." And you know, he did. He removed a softball sized cancerous tumor and somehow, someway, by the grace of our Lord, it hadn't spread after all. One day I was handed death, and three days later I was handed life. The irony of the numbers, three doctors, three days, are not lost on me. Some have asked, what did you pray for? How do you deal with knowing you were dying? Well, back to my world getting small, quickly, I prayed that the Lord take care of my little family. That's all I could think about. I actually tried to bargain with Him to let me see my little girl grow up, but there's no bargaining for life. You can only prepare for death. And that's my hope for anyone reading this. I can assure you, that tomorrow doesn't exist yet, only the present. We assume the sun will rise tomorrow, but it hasn't yet, and there is no guarantee it ever will. If you haven't invested in your eternity, and there is one, please don't wait. It will only go one of two ways after this life. Seek Christ, redeem yourself, and invest in your eternity. I wasn't living my best life before this event. I'd strayed. My faith was weak, but I was renewed, and am trying to live my best life. I had a wakeup call. I'm very fortunate, and thankful for that wakeup call. Many don't get one that is so clear, so I hope this story will serve as one to you. Sorry, this was so long.

The pic is from the tom I killed the last week of the '17 season after being cleared by my surgeon to shoot a gun. Though I'd killed many, many before it, this was the first turkey of the rest of my life. 

Lance Patton & Jenna Patton

Someone may need this story in their life today!

Two Riverboats In Town Today

I'm getting ready to walk down to get a closer look of the Queen of the Mississippi and the American Duchess.  They were moored all day for their passengers to tour our historic civil war town of Vicksburg, MS.  

Looking back towards the Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum.

You can now see the benches that have been underwater.  The floodwaters are receding in the Yazoo Diversion Canal and expected to rise again with all the ice and snow from up north coming down.  

Another picture of the America Duchess near the old red caboose.

American Duchess

Queen of the Mississippi

One more picture before leaving.  I love the blue umbrellas on top of the American Duchess.  The Grand American Queen will be back with her passengers to tour our town this Friday, April 5, 2019.  It's exciting to see all the riverboats coming more often to our river city.  It's great for tourism.  

Happy 8th Anniversary You Two!

Wishing my Granddaughter Victoria Leigh and hubby Jamie a very Happy 8th Anniversary today.  They got married at Honeysuckle Hills in Pigeon Forge, TN.  

Introducing Victoria Leigh and Jamie Hammock

They got married at Honeysuckle Hills... 

...in Pigeon Forge, TN.  

They are the proud parents of one son (my great grandson), Ian.  May you both have many more happy years together.  Love you guys!  xoxo

Tennessee Crossbow Kill