Yesterday's Flea Market

Note the beautiful Magnolia blossom over the flea market.  If you click on the picture you can see it up closer.

Across from us, Walter Osborne, who was campaigning for Chancery Clerk.  There were several booths set up for campaigns.  He was giving away free water and balloons.

Gordon Cotton, in the blue shirt, is the former curator of the Old Court House Museum.

  

Bob was happy that we started selling trees.  It was a very slow morning but by mid-day things started picking up pretty fast.  We are happy to get eight trees sold.  At the last flea market we had doubled that.  This one was rather small and was also another flea market downtown at RiverFest going on at the same time.

Mary Louise Nosser, in her Southern Belle attire, greeting everyone at the flea market.  She gives tours at the Vicksburg National Military Park and we used to work together at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  She lives one block over from us and a very nice lady!

A little boy in his plastic car enjoying all the sites and sounds of the flea market.

We had dogs galore at the flea market and here are two cuties!

The Old Court House Flea Market

This picture was taken before 8:00 as I was climbing the steps to the Old Court House Museum.  It was a perfect day for a flea market in Vicksburg!  We did not attend Riverfest downtown but you could hear the city rocking on the bricks from our home last night and will continue tonight with more entertainment.

  

Ladies powder room to the right with beautiful flowers on the lawn. Took a few pictures of the grounds before heading back to our booth to help Bob sell his copper trees.

  

Getting ready to go back down to our booth with the blue-green top.  The vendor who was to our left did not show up till 10:00 to set up.  

Bob and I had our backs to the New Court House and facing the Old Court House. Getting ready to start the day selling his trees.  It was in the 50's and very windy and finally warmed up by mid-day!  Will post more pictures tomorrow of our flea market adventure.

Happy Birthday Greg!

Bob and I are wishing Greg a very Happy 44th Birthday today!  We hope he has many, many more to come.  Above is a big 8-point buck that he took south of Vicksburg, December 2000.  He was the guest of a hunting buddy/friend and used his inline muzzle loader.  It weighed 255 lbs. and the antlers had an inside spread of 25 inches.  This buck scored 131 on the Boone and Crockett.  

24th Annual RiverFest

This evening at 6:00 p.m. the 24th Annual RiverFest kicks off with bands, dancing and fun for the entire family for the next two days. Tomorrow will be the flea markets with entertainment.  One will be held downtown and the other at the Old Court House Museum. My husband, Bob and I, will have a booth to sell Bob's copper trees at the Old Court House area. We are looking forward to a good time and seeing and visiting with our friends and making new ones!

Battle Of The Barge

Finally, after 22 days of being stuck on the I-20 bridge span, a partially sunken soybean barge was broken free this past Wednesday, clearing the waterways. It was a 90- to 100-foot section of the barge that was pulled by cranes and taken across the river to the west bank just south of the bridge.

The soybean-laden barge lodged next to the pier on March 23 after 30 south bound barges, driven by a swollen MS River, broke loose from the Marquette Transportation tow and scattered, some hitting the U.S. 80 bridge, some hitting the I-20 bridge and some floating south of the city to near LeTournau landing before being rounded up.

My husband and I were there on Wednesday morning around 11:00 a.m. taking pictures to post on my blog and by 1:35 p.m. it was accomplished.

Camels & Writers In Town!

I read in The Vicksburg Post that the camels were coming to town but disappointed that I did not make it to our Vicksburg National Military Park to see them.  You don't see a camel everyday!  These pictures were taken from the Post and it shows Doug Baum fixing Richard's bell before talking to the writers.  The other camel's name was Ibraham.  I did not know that camels were used in the Civil War.  Baum  presented a history program on the use of camels.  "This was 1856, pre-Civil War," he said.  "Jefferson Davis was secretary of war for the Union at the time and under his tenure, money was appropriated for this plan that had been brewing for about 20 years.  They sent a ship over to the Middle East and North Africa.  It made two trips and brought 75 camels back.  The camels were off-loaded on the coast of Texas.  The Confederates used them for transportation.  There was no camel-back charges during the Civil War." Richard portrayed Old Douglas, the only camel to have seen battle action during the Civil War, Baum said.  The animal was shot down by a Union sharp shooter.  A grave marker was erected for him at the Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Ignor Lobanov of Mature Life Features in San Diego takes a picture of a grave marker at Soldier's Rest at the Cedar Hill Cemetery Tuesday.  Source: Bryant Hawkins-The Vicksburg Post

It was great weather here in Vicksburg to welcome 32 travel writers to see what Vicksburg was all about.  From the looks of it they were all pleasantly surprised. "Vicksburg seems almost raw, almost fledgling," said Karen Rubin, New York-based writer for the Travel Features Syndicate.  "You have so much that's genuine. I see the restoration and the preservation and that's so important.  You have such a good core of people who respect that about your history."  While here in Mississippi the writers visited the Town of Port Gibson, including Windsor in Claiborne County, the Town of Raymond and of course, Vicksburg, The Key to the South!

At least one of the writers felt the trip was not long enough, but said she would return.  "There is more history in this little area than any other," George Bruzenak said,.  "One of the things we'll bring out is how important the (Union) victory in Vicksburg was to the ending of the Civil War.  There's ton of history here."

Removal Of Barge Still Ongoing

Today we drove by the Mississippi Welcome Center to see that only half of the bean barge had been cut away since last Wednesday and had dropped 30 feet below the water. (Also, see Thursday, April 7, post).  Over the weekend a cable on the crane supporting a chisel used to cut the barge snapped and delayed a lift-and-cut operation originally planned to end last Friday.  

Part of the barge still up against the I-20 bridge pier.

A barge loaded with rocks is stationed along the Louisiana bank.  The Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development contracted with multistate contractor Luhr Bros. Inc. for $750,000 to fill a depression believed to have become deeper due to currents swirling off the barge with 2-ton boulders.  Tugs owned by Marquette Transportation spent much of the first week after the incident trying to push it off the pier, but were called off when too much vibration on the bridge was detected by stability sensors.  Traffic on I-20 has remained open, though restricted in the eastbound lane.

TV Station, WLBT Channel 3, of Jackson, MS, reporting the news on the barge against the I-20 pier span.

The Power of Words

A Mad Hatter Reception

My granddaughter and her new husband got married in Pigeon Forge, TN, on April 2, 2011.  Yesterday evening, a reception honoring Victoria and Jamie Hammack, was held at 6:00 p.m., for family and friends that could not attend their wedding in TN.  It was a Mad Hatter Reception held at The Upper Inn in downtown Vicksburg. They used the theme, Alice in Wonderland and I know she felt liked VICTORIA in Wonderland! Here are a few pictures at the reception that Bob and I enjoyed while celebrating with the newlyweds!  

The Mad Hatter Dance floor.

The wedding dance!

The wedding cake!

The candy bags read ~ Sweets for the Sweet!  Thank you for sharing our joy! Victoria & Jamie

He knew he loved her, 

it was something he couldn't hide.  

So he asked her to marry 

She said, "Yes, I'll be your bride!"

My lovely granddaughter, Victoria and I.

On our way home, I took this picture of downtown Washington at South Streets.  The Upper Inn, where the reception was held, is located across the street from the tallest building at the corner of Clay and Washington Streets.  A lovely and fun reception celebrating a wonderful event in my granddaughter's life!  May she and Jamie be forever happy in their new life together.  

Busy As A Bee Can Bee!

A busy bee checking out my flowers!

My little boy angel watching over my garden.

We have lived here for 20 years and every year these flowers come up.  I still do not know what they are!  Do you?

Detour - Washington Street Bridge

Last Wednesday as we headed towards the MS River bridges we took the detour down towards the river because the Washington Street bridge is out.  This view is near the bend in the river and the Yazoo Canal entrance to the right at Vicksburg.

Crossing here over the RR tracks and if you look towards the end you will see a tunnel being built for the trains to pass through and where the new Washington Street bridge is being built over it.  The bridge was closed on January 23, 2009, due to structural integrity and evidence of instability.  To the right you pass by Diamond Jacks Casino and up the hill it connects with the main street, Washington Street. This street was my old stomping grounds where I grew up in the 2500 block for 21 years.  Our old home was torn down about 12 years ago and when I pass by, it's like an empty hole in my life.  All that looks familiar is the big pecan tree that was in our backyard.  Also, left standing is part of the steps that went up to our home.  I don't know why that was left but one day stopped and took a brick from it as a keepsake.

Where the new Washington Street bridge will be.

Flying High Over The MS River

There was so much activity on the MS River near the bridges and at the MS overlook circle this past Wednesday, when I went by the first overlook and spotted something in the sky.  This is my favorite spot to take pictures of river traffic.  Of course, barge traffic was closed during the removal of the sunken barge on the I-20 pier.  If you notice in the bottom picture two ladies and a little boy are flying the kite at the Riverfront Park.  You can barely see the kite and is located above the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers boat near edge of the tree in the sky.  It was a windy and beautiful sunny day to fly a kite! 

Removal of Barge on Pier Span

Yesterday afternoon, I wanted to go by and see the beginning of the removal of the partially sunken barge up against the bridge pier.  Officials were predicting that it will take approximately three days to complete and the cut-up pieces should float safely away from the MS River's navigation lanes. Jackson's, WLBT 3 was also on hand and a lot of people were standing around talking and taking picture while watching the event unfold.  The parking lot was so full that I had to go to Navy Circle to park our truck and walk over to the Welcome Center to take pictures.  (Read my post on April 2 about the barge strike).  Ergon, a refinery on the Vicksburg Harbor, had unloaded the partially sunken barge of soybeans so when they start cutting into it, beans would not spill out into the river.  The waterway will be closed to vessel traffic during the removal and trains crossing the river on the old U.S. 80 bridge will be coordinated by a unified command of agencies.   

Picture taken from Navy Circle

Official boats surrounding the area.

Note the SUV parked on  I-20 bridge.  This guy noticed something was going on and pulled over to the side and then backed up on the Interstate to check it out. 

A nice cat-walk over to Navy Circle and a good place to take pictures.  The road under it leads to the old U.S. 80 bridge next to the I-20 bridge.  There is no thru traffic on this bridge, only train traffic. In October we usually have the 5-mile (walk/run/one mile fun run) "Over the River Run" that is a lot of fun for the community and outsiders alike.  I did not climb these stairs but walked across the street to the circle.  

New Step-Great Grandson!

On March 28, 2011 at 8:59 p.m., Kenneth "Christian" Whitmore, was born in Santa Fe, NM.  My step-daughter, Karen and her hubby, Ron, are holding this bundle of joy!  Congrats to them and to Brandon and Katy, the new parents!

What a precious addition to the family!