March 14th - April 12th, 2011

I spent 4 weeks with Mom in Ft. Lauderdale. Mostly quiet time except a trip to Mayo Clinic March 28th-30th.
Mayo wants her to restart treatment so I'll be going back in a couple of weeks.
My grandmother (Lena Leger) died on April 5th at the age of 98. I wasn't able to drive to Louisiana in time for the funeral so when Mom flew out I headed home.

March 13th, 2011

If you haven't heard from me it's because my internet is broken and I couldn't get it repaired before I left. Nobody can get in.

My driveway is dug up while my neighbor removes the culverts and is installing a bridge -

I've been getting in the back way through his yard but last week I busted a tire on the rocks. Ugh!

Anyway, hopefully it'll be finished before I return home. I'm in Florida for a few weeks with Mom - and high speed internet!

March 4th, 2011

I finally finished up my Middle Woods project! (Except for hauling the firewood up to the woodshed, ha). This chore has been OBSESSING me and I was determined to finish it even if it killed me! Weather never seemed to cooperate when I had time, and when the weather was right, I didn't have time. Anyway.............Whew!

Found these old pics of what the Middle Woods looked like six years ago..............

OMG!

Yuck!

February 23rd, 2011

The weather's been warm! I've been spending my time cleaning and organizing the shop and cleaning up the middle woods. Two projects that never seem to get finished. The plan for the middle woods is for it to eventually be an extention of the backyard all the way down to the garden.

February 12th, 2011

This past week we've had THE most snow (10 inches) and THE coldest temps (0 degrees, 2 nights in a row) in the six and a half years I've lived here. Up till now, the coldest was 7 degrees and the most snow at one time was 8 inches.

It's beautiful out but me and Tux are getting cabin fever!

Starting now, we'll be thawing out. Temps in the 50s today and 60s (!!!) for the next two weeks. Lots to do outside and I can't wait to get started.

Feburary 5th, 2011

Sheesh. Have to look at my calendar to see what I've been up to since last post.

Had snow, then snow melted and some nice outside work days, more snow, snow.....tried to get down to Louisiana for Beetle's funeral (Jan 26) but had to wait on weather. Left home on January 29th, got stuck in Westlake for most of the time due to bad weather and finally gave up and came home the 3rd to get out before the ICE (!) hit Louisiana. Got home and the house warmed up just in time for more snow here. About 4" since thursday.

January 12th, 2011

Nothing exciting going on. It's COLD. 9 degrees last night and tonight it'll be 6! We won't be above freezing till the weekend. I'm spending my time hauling wood in and keeping the woodstove fired up. And catching up on indoor chores. (And wasting time on the internet. Ha.)

January 10th, 2011

First snow last night! Tux and I took a hike this morning...........

Lil Orphan at the corn feeder.

Look at all the deer tracks!

Trail to the back woods.

Looks COLD in the deer stand.

January 5th, 2011

Way late on this post!
Christmas in Louisiana was nice but too many people to visit and not enough time. Saw a lot of people but as usual forgot to take pictures most of the time. The only reason I have a few is I gave Alex (Eric's grandaughter, Brandi's daughter) my camera at the Christmas Eve party. Here's one of me with Eric, his kids, and one grandbaby -

Aubrey, Ashley, Lil Eric, Me, Eric, Brandi

As nice as it was to see everyone, I was glad to get home and start catching up. I'm soooo behind on projects.

January 1st, 2011

When you're lonely, I wish you Love!

When you're down, I wish you Joy!

When you're troubled, I wish you Peace!

When things seem empty, I wish you Hope!

Have a Happy New Year!"

- Anonymous

Wednesday December 22nd, 2010

Santa Tux

Grandma gave Tux a red sweater and Santa hat for Christmas. Too Cute. We're heading out in the morning to Louisiana for some Christmas visiting and hunting.

Merry Christmas All!

December 21st, 2010

Nothing exciting to write about so here's a couple of pics I've been wanting to post....

I took this picture a little over a year ago. It's unusual to see such a tiny fawn all alone. I was wondering if he'd make it all by himself, poor baby.

Well, here's what he looks like now. He's still hanging around. I call him Lil Orphan.

Finally got my new pipes in the pumphouse wrapped in heat tape and insulated. Of COURSE when I was "almost" done, one of the pipes came apart and I got soaked from head to toe. Had to take everything back off, dry it all, fix the pipe, and start over. LOL.

December 13th - 18th 2010

I came home on the 13th, on the 14th I had the closing on my new land (!!!). With the new 33 acres - I now own 40 acres!

In the picture below, the red box is the 7 acres I already had, the green box is the new 33.........

After that excitement I came down with a virus and haven't done anything AT ALL the rest of the week.

Haven't even seen any deer lately but the wild turkeys have been coming right up to the house.........

26 hens were in this flock.

December 1st - 12th 2010

This is what my new well looks like. All of the piping runs underground to my pumphouse and connects to the electric and plumbing there. SO glad I didn't have to redo all of that! Ignore the huge pile of shale I need to clean up. Ugh.

I was thinking of going to Louisiana for a pre-Christmas visit when my cousin Ann called to tell me my favorite Aunt "Tut" was in the hospital, so I went down.

Tut and John

The news was bad. Tut has pancreatic cancer.
Prayers appreciated.

November 2010

November was also busy.
Had to find out what was wrong with my well, it turned out I had only 26 gallons of water with a half-gallon a minute return rate. In other words, I had to drill a new well. That took most of the month, off and on. Finally got the new (440 feet deep!) well online December 4th.

Meanwhile, rifle deer season opened on the 13th. Eric came up for the hunt and shot a nice 7 point opening morning -


I shot a 6 point that afternoon -


Spent the next several days cleaning, boning, and putting up deer meat. Also making my skull mounts. Finished that then shot this 8 point.

I've had enough deer stuff! It's hard work and I'm out of shape!

Barely finished all that and my Thanksgiving company came up for 6 days. Monique, Roy, Brandi and Eric. Brandi & Eric hunted but didn't see anything. Had lots of fun, food, and drinks. Of course I forgot to take pictures!

The last two days of the month I RESTED. Whew.

October 2010

October was busy! Arrived home on the 5th. Besides trying to get settled and caught up after 8 months, I've had lots of company. Guess everyone missed me, lol.

Eric came up for a bow hunt the first weekend, the following weekend I went to Louisiana for the opening of deer season there. That was also my birthday and Eric gave me a Game Cam. It's SO cool to see what comes to my feeder at night!

The next weekend Monique and Brandi came up for a visit. Brandi discovered my new crossbow, I taught her to shoot it and she hunted the whole time. Saw lots of deer (and turkey!) but none close enough to shoot.

Also exciting in October, we're in severe drought and my well is going dry! More on that next post.......

Feburary - September 2010

Believe it or not my New Years resolution last year was to keep up better with my blog and my email. See how well that worked out!

At the beginning of February I went back to Florida for Jack's memorial service. He wanted his ashes scattered at sea. It was a beautiful ceremony with friends and family........

Gerald, Mom, Me, Tom (Jack's son), Paula,

Julie (Tom's wife, in front)

I planned on staying in Florida with Mom for a couple of weeks, then returning home. Before I left Mom started feeling bad so I ended up bringing her to the ER to find out what was wrong.

Turned out she had a rare form of cancer (peritonial). The good news was it was treatable with 6 months of chemo and an operation. She wanted treatment at Mayo clinic in Jacksonville so I went home to close up my house, my brother Gerald found an apartment there that would accept pets, so Tux and I went to live in Ponte Vedra Beach (just south of Jacksonville).

September 30th Mom was given the all clear. Whew!

October 1st I moved her back to Ft Lauderdale, my sister came down to stay with her for a few weeks and I left for home on October 4th.

Tuesday January 5th

I woke up to SNOW yesterday. First I've seen this year. Pretty, but brrrrrrrr.

Nothing exciting going on. Trying to get my place back to normal, catching up on bills and housework, mail, etc.


AND hauling lots of wood to keep the woodstove going. Frigid outside but toasty warm in here!

Update 2 - (December)

At the beginning of December I was finishing up with the winterizing and the last little bit of hunting, getting ready to go back to Louisiana the following week for work.

Mom called to tell me Jack (my stepdad of 32 years) was in the hospital and not doing well. I left that day (friday 4th) and got to Fort Lauderdale on Sunday the 6th. He died Tuesday the 8th. I'm grateful I was there in time to tell him goodbye.

This picture was hanging over his desk. I don't remember what the event was but Mom says it was in France and one of his favorites. Boy do we both look young!


Left Fort Lauderdale on the 20th to come home and shut down my house properly, pay bills, etc...so I could go back to Florida and stay with Mom awhile. Stopped in Louisiana for a couple of days on the way then recieved a call from my neighbor on the 24th (the day I was coming home) telling me the culvert on the drive was washed out and I couldn't get in till the water went down and the culvert was replaced. I waited until the 28th to leave, got home on the 29th. Couldn't get in on the main drive but was able to pass through the neighbors yard and behind the pond.

Came home after almost a month gone to a totally frozen house, pipes in the pumphouse broken, and even the house plants dead (they froze IN the house, that's how cold it's been).

Since then I've fixed the pipes, thawed out the house, and trying to catch up so I can leave again.
Still, it's great to be home even if it's temporary.

Update 1 - (November)

So.....I stayed sick most of November with whatever virus/bug I had.

Still managed to finish painting my deer blind.....

Had lots of company.

Eric came up for a bow hunt and got this nice 7 point...........
Monique and crew came up for Thanksgiving..............

Audra and Kenny came too...........

I hunted plenty but never saw anything but 4 points and does. Who knew I had so many 4 pointers?!? Before the season I had Big Bucks right in the yard.

Spent the rest of my time trying to get ready for winter. It came way too soon this year.

Wednesday December 30th

Yes, I know it's been 2 months and everyone is wondering if I fell off the face of the earth.
I'm still here, everything's okay, just hectic. Update soon.
But first I have to fix pipes and maybe the well. (I've been gone almost a month).

Friday October 30th

So, we went to the Miley Cyrus concert in Little Rock last saturday. It was better than I expected! The music wasn't kiddie pop but more like something I would've heard at a rock concert 20 years ago. (but yes, there WERE 15,000 screaming little girls!). I was in shock when she did Joan Jett's "I Love Rock and Roll" - and did it well! That one must've been for us old fogeys.

Came home sunday and since then it's been raining almost nonstop and I'm down with a virus so I've gotten absolutely nothing done all week except lots of sleeping. Woke up from a nap yesterday afternoon, looked out the window and saw THIS at my yard feeder -



Bet I won't see HIM during hunting season!

Friday October 23rd

Drove in from Louisiana today. Wow. It's FALL here now! Monique and Brandi are with me, we're leaving in the morning for Little Rock to go to the Miley Cyrus concert (early Christmas present for Brandi), I'll be back here sunday. Can't wait to spend some time at home!

Thursday October 15th

I'm back in Louisiana since monday. It's been raining nonstop so I haven't worked much yet. While I was home last time I was super busy trying to get caught up - and hoping to get a little ahead. (wishfull thinking there!) Eric came up for a bow hunt. (We're doing a swap hunt, I'll be at his camp for rifle hunting this weekend). While he was there we built a box blind! Woo Hoo! I've been wanting one FOREVER! I say "we" but really HE built it. I just helped. It's awesome!

I thought the deer would be spooked for awhile, but obviously not - this pic is from the morning after we put it in place -

I managed to get it mostly painted before I left -

Cool, huh? I'll finish it when I get home.