Good One!

A Rare Black Fawn

My friend, Steve, sent me these rare and beautiful set of pictures.  If you love animals....you will love this!

Oops!! Little Too Close

We were out running errands Wednesday morning and always look out towards the Mississippi River to see any river traffic and saw this barge that had ran aground.  Looks like he did not make a wide enough turn and the swiftness of the river turned him back into the bank at the bend in the river.  We do not live far away from the river and went to the house to get my camera.  It always happens when I don't bring my camera, I see something I want to take a picture of.  When I got back he was still trying to maneuver his way to get unstuck from the bank.  He finally made it and and continued on upstream.  Looks like some boats were nearby just in case.  At least his day got a little better!

Ma Bear

You get down from there, RIGHT NOW!!!

Watermelons and More Watermelons!

After we left Rex Sunday morning, we headed towards Okolona, MS, to visit some friends there before heading home the next day.  Gerald, "Rooster", and Bob used to work together at Anderson-Tully Lumber Company in Vicksburg.  Rooster worked as an inspector grading lumber and my husband was Director of Labor Relations for the company when they became good friends.  Bob is retired now but Rooster works at a sawmill in Mathison, MS, still grading lumber.  Actually, Bob and I hunted behind the sawmill and really had a great time a few years ago.  Rooster grows his vegetables on some land which backs up against the Natchez Trace Parkway, where he and his wife used to live and he still deer hunts there as well.  He sets up his produce stand near the garden and sells on his off time.  We were able to bring home some fresh vegetables and a nice size watermelon.  We really enjoyed seeing both our friends in Water Valley and in Van Vleet near Okolona, MS.  It was a wonderful and relaxing get-a-way for both of us.

A Watermelon Blast

Bob and I had wonderful time at the Water Valley Watermelon Carnival this past weekend and was so good to see my mentor and good friend Rex of Deer Camp Blog and visit with his family and friends again.  It was pretty hot but we had our tent pitched in a good spot near a tree which was nice and shady.  We did have a short rain shower to come up but other than that everything was great.  We did make a small profit on Bob's copper trees and got a lot of looks and compliments on his craft.  Actually, this was our first time at a flea market environment to try and sell his copper trees and we both enjoyed the experience just being there and being lazy, meeting and watching all the people, especially the children.  We also had his Dad's books, LIM and JEFF'S GOD, for sale that he wrote/published and made a nice profit on them as well.  Bob and I really appreciated Rex inviting us to come up to sell his copper trees and for all the help that we received to make it all possible for a fun watermelon blast!

Friday evening in downtown Water Valley!

Denise and Rex (sporting his watermelon cap) checking out one of the copper trees Saturday morning!

Hershel and Bob engaged in deep conversation.

A customer with his cute puppy named "Daisy".

Hershel with a new tag for his truck given to him by Rex's sister, Holly, Dennis and two grandsons.

A What-A-Melon Ride!

Trent, Rex's other evil brother, working the Rotary Club booth giving away FREE lemonade!

Crowds enjoying the Carnival!

Fireworks display after dark!

Bob and Trent enjoying after hours drink together at the office!

Thanks Rex for a fun time at the Watermelon Carnival!  

Water Valley Bound

Bob and I have been invited by Rex over at Deer Camp Blog to come to their annual Watermelon Carnival in his hometown of Water Valley, MS.  This will be our second trip to Water Valley and the first one being when Rex turned the "BIG 50" two years ago.  Bob is a sculptor and has been making copper trees for awhile now and Rex is giving him this opportunity to help him sell his copper trees at the carnival.  We are looking forward to our visit and being with our dear friends from Water Valley.  I will be out-of-pocket till next Tuesday and when I come back will share with you pictures of our adventures.  Until then...

How Hot Is It In MS?

So hot it melted the ice cream truck!!!

Yo-Yo's For Our Troops!

My blogging friend, Albert, of The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles is stationed in Afghanistan working as a contractor.  He has asked his fellow bloggers to help him out in supporting his idea of Yo-Yos for our troops.  Please read the post below and participate in a cause that would not cost you very much out-of-pocket and put a smile on a serviceman's face.  I know I will do my part and Albert is doing his by promoting his marvelous idea.  Please do YOUR part in supporting our troops in harms way!  May God Bless America!


Ok, I know what your thinking...


"What the devil are you up to Albert? Yo-Yos???"

As it turns out, that's exactly what I am thinking. Yo-Yo's.




I was just walking down the side of the camp road when I spyed something green in the dirt. After a couple of hard learned lessons, you tend to stop and carefully canvas the surrounding area for anything else out of place. After a pretty thorough investigation I came to the conclusion that it was safe to investigate more closely. I had happened upon a broken Duncan Butterfly yo-yo. The side was off, and the axle was loose. As it so happens, I travel prepared. I brought some gel crazy glue with me, along with assorted a sundry other items that make your life tolerable in Afghanistan. (See my post: What You Need to Bring Overseas as a Contractor.)  A few minutes later I had a perfectly serviceable yo-yo again.

I remember that sometime around 1970-71 there was a Yo-Yo craze; at least there was in my neighborhood!  We all had to have Yo-Yos and many of us learned tricks like "walk the dog," "around the world," and "rock the cradle."

So, I was outside the tent in our compound, Yo-Yoing away the afternoon. Boy what fun it is to have something to do while the interminable hours drift by.

A couple of the other fellows whose brains had yet to be baked in their skulls stopped by, so I offered the Yo-Yo to each in turn so they could have some fun with it. We must have spent a couple of hours out there, getting the hang of it, laughing, telling tall tales, and forgetting we were hot, dirty, and far from home.

As a parent, you know the tell tale signs of boredom, frustration, anger, and fear in your children. I see it in our young military folks all too often. I can't tell you how many of these kids I have seen that are dangerously close to the breaking point. All they need is something to distract them from their daily drudgery.

Therein lies my idea.

I would like for you to forward a Yo-Yo or two to me, so that I may distribute them to the young men and women that are out here sucking up dust and dodging bullets. If you have never sent anything to a deployed service member before, let me tell you that it is a one of their greatest pleasures to receive a gift from the states from someone they don't know. It just makes their day!

I hope many of you will be inclined to take a moment out of your day and box one up. I'll let you know who received it and take a picture or two and post it on TROC. Make sure you put a slip of paper inside with your name and email so I can let you know it has arrived, and so the service member can thank you too! It's a little thing, a Yo-Yo is, but it can mean the world sometimes.

My address is:

Albert A Rasch

AEW 451st ECES/FP

APO AE 09355

This is the corrected address please double check!

One more thing if you don't mind. I want to ask all of my fellow bloggers to please link to this post, or even better, email me and I will send you the html of this post for a guest post on your blog! I sure would appreciate it!

I want to thank you in advance for giving this some thought. And for those of you that will forward a YoYo, I can't thank you enough for the kindness you are exhibiting. Believe you me, you will make a service member's day!

Benefactors of

The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles: Yo-Yos for Troops Program!

Rick Kratzke of Whitetail Woods has graciously published this post on his blog! Not only that, but he has offered to send a Yo-Yo to the troops! And will now be flying the banner too! Well done my friend! Guest Post from Afghanistan

Troutrageous! has also committed to forwarding a YoYo, and check out what he has done on the right side of his blog! He has created a banner! And he posted too: YoYos: They're not Just for Kids Anymore! He is another true supporter of our troops!!!

Okie Redneck is going to help out too! She's going to fly the banner, and allow me the privilege of guest posting on her blog! Now there is a great troop supporter! PS: I love the header on your blog!

Hippo on the Lawn's own literary ExPat has emailed me from Angola! If I may quote him: "When I first read your post I was beginning to think you'd gone stir crazy but then I remembered when I was doing bomb disposal tours and being on call all the time. It really was, as they say, long periods of boredom interspersed with short periods of real fear. Anything we received that helped take our minds off the job and pass the time was gratefully received." Even in Angola, our friends are going to help us out! Thanks Tom! The links are on their way. His hilarious post on the matter is here!

KC of  DiaperBagWrangler.com is going to do her part to help support the troops! She will be forwarding a Yo-Yo too! Huh... will you look at that... She's got a blog too! DiaperBagWrangler.Blogspot Boy have I got a lot to learn about stuff still... Thank You Ma'am!

Deer Passion in Kansas is going to send some Yo-Yos too! Her post, Yo-Yos for the Troops, is lovely, and she is flying the banner too! She says,"...finding a broken yo-yo, he is on a mission to bring smiles, a little bit of hope and alot of fun to our men and women serving overseas." On a mission, I like that!

I Don't Wear Pink Camo to the Woods is Kari's blog on all things outdoors in Wisconsin. She bumped into Ricks post on YoYos for the Troops and is sending some my way to distribute. BTW if you're interested in bear hunting, Kari's your gal!

Another Falconry Blog has been very kind to blog about the Campaign, and has posted and linked to the YoYos for Troops! The momentum is building!

Big Mike S is flying the banner! He is also a huge fan of linking to posts so stop and see what he finds most interesting on the net!


Please email me if you would be willing to place the banner that Mike Troutrageous! has so graciously designed for the Yo-Yos for the Troops campaign. I would be very appreciative of all of you that would do so. TheRaschOutdoorChronicles(at)msn(dot)com


With regards, your friend,
Albert A Rasch
Member: Kandahar Tent Club

The Hunt Continues...

Not A Good Sign!

According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are nearly 31 million people currently unemployed -- that's including those involuntarily working part-time and those who want a job, but have given up on trying to find one. In the face of the worst economic upheaval since the Great Depression, millions of Americans are hurting. "The Decline: The Geography of a Recession," as created by labor writer LaToya Egwuekwe, serves as a vivid representation of just how much. Watch the deteriorating transformation of the U.S. economy from January 2007 -- approximately one year before the start of the recession -- to the most recent unemployment data available today. Original link: http://www.latoyaegwuekwe.com/geographyofarecession.html. For more information, email latoya.egwuekwe@yahoo.com

Couple of Pix from Dave

Here are a couple of pictures that Dave sent me last month and said...it's been slim pickins picture wise this year so far, but I did get one good one out of the north woods, and one of me showing what I go through to get these pictures. The "suit" I have on is a bug suit made for summer hunting especially in Canada...I bought it for my last bear hunt up there. It looks like a bee outfit, but is made for hunting...Comes in really handy when going into the woods to re-stock my bait and mineral licks. Hope you enjoy. ~Dave

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

Another Picture Published!

When I opened this mornings paper, The Vicksburg Post, I went straight to the Classifieds where photos are sent in and published by readers.  I had sent this particular picture in a few weeks ago, and there it was!  The caption they inserted was...Marian Love Phillips looked over the barrel of a Civil War cannon at Louisiana Circle to see a bird's eye view of the two Mississippi River bridges at Vicksburg.  There is also a plaque near the cannon which reads...

 "The Widow Blakely" 

Because it was the lone Blakely rifled cannon in all the Vicksburg defenses, the Confederate Soldiers called this 7.44-inch gun, "The Widow Blakley."  During the seige it was mounted about 1 mile north of its present position.  On May 22, 1863, the "Widow" was manned by a detachment of Company H, 1st Louisiana Heavy Artillery, Lt. A. L. Slack, commanding the detail. 

In that day's action against Union gunboats, one of the "Widow Blakely's" own shells exploded in its muzzle.  Later, the Confederates cut away the damaged end and used the gun as a mortor. 

After the war, "The Widow Blakely" spent 96 years on display at the U. S. Military Academy's Trophy Point.  U. S. Department of the Interior - National Park Services. 

It sure is a nice feeling to know that your picture is deserving enough to be published!

A Devoted Husband

Talking about husbands...just got in after 5 hours in the ER and putting my husband in the hospital.  We were having a really nice day and started out going to the Farmers Market downtown at Catfish Row Art Park, ran some errands and ended up eating lunch at the Subway in Wal-Mart and then bought our groceries.  While there he started having chest pains and took his nitroglycerin pill but got to feeling better.  Came home and put up the groceries and he started having chest pains again...so we went to the ER and they admitted him for observation.  Hopefully, he will be alright...

Funny Old Rock Star Songs!

This is pretty funny and we all are getting older and so are all the rock stars!

A Busy Crazy Day

It has been a busy crazy day here for me.  First off, had to take my husband to his Doctor's appointment and that took almost two and half hours.  Afterwards, we went by McDonald's and Bob got a chocolate sundae and I love their wild berry smoothies and drove to the Louisiana Circle to enjoy the scenery.  No barges came by but as we were leaving a small boat had just passed under the bridges headed up the river towards where we were parked.  It's been really nice and breezy here in Vicksburg today.  From the photo it looks like you can see more and more of the sandbar as the days go by with the MS River dropping.  We left and went by the hospital to visit my brother, who is not doing very well.  He may be going back into a nursing home by middle of next week.  He also, may have to give up his apartment before long because he's not able to take care of his needs anymore.  We came home and had lunch and my daughter and grandson came over to visit us and brought some boxes for us to carry Bob's copper trees in for our trip to Water Valley next weekend for the Watermelon Carnival.  My daughter works for Riverwalk Casino here in Vicksburg and was able to get the boxes and will do the job perfectly.  After they left, I tried to get on my computer to blog and it was acting crazy again.  I have a bad feeling that my computer is about to give me a really hard time.  It has been hanging up a lot and had to shut it down and reboot.  So, I finally made it to post something today.  I really need to backup some of my documents and pictures soon before something bad happens.  I may have to get my computer reformatted and start all over.  Thank goodness I have a grandson that can do all of this tech stuff for me.  He is my computer guru!  :)

Dave's Wildlife Photography

My friend, Dave, who lives in Indiana sent me these pictures via email a week or so ago and wanted to share with you a few wildlife pictures he took with the help of Winnie, (his dog) who took care of the crew-cab duties for him.  He said, I really pray you enjoy this as much as I cherish taking them. When I take these, I look first for the background so it doesn't have some truck or something in it. Then, I wait until the picture is balanced as you see here, with the waves adding as much as the ducks themselves. I also try to "frame" pictures when I can such as you can see with the blue Heron. Using the dead-wood worked beautifully... It makes for much better photographs to share. Please enjoy and would sure love hearing from those who do enjoy them... Makes my day for sure... Dave

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

More Camp Shots...

Got this shot of Camo (Rex's dog) while we were sitting in the swing.  Look at those adorable doggy eyes! 

Taking another relaxing break at the camp from the heat at the table...from left Burney (grill cook), Bob (Vicksburg friend), Paul (good neighbor), Mark (mailrider) and Hershel (Camp Chief).

  

Hershel driving us back to camp after viewing the beautiful Sunflowers at the Hillside National Wildlife Refuge.

Hershel with his lovely neighborhood friend, Dorothy.

Deer coming out at the camp in the evening during happy hour which made our workday all worthwhile.

A Working/Fun Weekend

We got to the camp around 10ish and Rex was cleaning out his upright freezer that he brought to the camp to replace the freezer that went out.  Bob and I went right to work helping him  We had to take a lot of breaks because it was getting hotter and hotter by the minute...and yes, even Rex and Camo took a break!  Mark and Burney were in the house cleaning and doing some electrical work.  A good bit was accomplished at the camp Saturday and Rex's Dad, Hershel, took Bob and I down the road behind the Game Warden's office on the Hillside National Wildlife Refuge, to show us the beautiful sunflowers that were planted for the very first time in preparation for an upcoming dove hunt.

  

Some still in bloom and all facing east.

Bob took this picture when he climbed up in the bed of the truck to get a birds eye view.  We were a few days to late to see all in full bloom.  That must have been a beautiful site!

Let us bow our heads and pray!

A flower to bring home to plant seeds come next Spring.  Sunflowers are one of my favorites.

Some still in bloom.