Deer Days

It seems that it's finally fall around here now that it's cooled off and the deer hunts have begun. This past weekend was Youth hunt weekend in Mississippi so Jason took his daughter Mary Cecil on her first hunt. He and I loaded up ourselves, plus Spencer, Caitlin, Brooklynn, Mary Cecil and Anna in the Tundra. We started out with my 2 dogs Annie and Gizmo, but before we even left town I changed my mind on taking 2 dogs along with 5 kids! So we headed to Carrollton to the deer camp where Jason's family owns around 140 acres to stay. All 5 kids scrunched in the back seat of Jason's truck for that hour long ride. It rained all night Friday night so the deer hunters waited until Saturday afternoon to go to the stands. Spencer went to his own stand, while Jason sat with Mary Cecil in one. Right off the bat MC shot one, but they never found it. Then she got another chance and shot another one. By that time Spencer had shot a 7 point buck. They did the whole drag 'em in, gut 'em and hang 'em thing. Then we had a weenie/marshamallow roast that night. Spencer got up Sunday and shot another 3 point buck coming back to the camp after not seeing anything for a few hours. Jason made him gut that one by himself. All in all, we all had a good time "roughing it" at the camp (which is a fully stocked mobile home, so we had satellite tv, cell phones, hot showers, nice beds, etc...) ;) Now, after seeing all the excitement and actually being part of the deer camp thing, I'm considering letting Jason teach me to shoot and maybe try for a deer of my own!!

New Children

Well it finally happened........I have 2 new additions to the family after searching and wanting....a pair of Shih Tzu's. They are the sweetest mild mannered dogs I've been around. I lucked up last Thursday looking through the classifieds in Monticello and saw this ad on the last page for 2 free Shih Tzus to a good home. I checked out the owner and my lady friend next door called her since she knew her. She and her husband have recently retired and are getting ready to travel and see the world in their luxurious RV....selling their home and cars....and wanted both dogs to go together to a new home. So I went by to see them and instantly fell in love. Annie Too (named after the owner's first dog Annie) is the black and white female. She will be 5 in November. Gizmo will turn five in March. She's sorta caramel and white colored. Annie is much fatter than Gizmo. They are both so well behaved and trained. I could never have asked or found any better pets for me and the kids! House broke, house trained, don't chew up stuff, don't mess around in stuff, don't yap and bark.....just precious. When I picked them up yesterday she had just gotten them groomed and they had little candy corn hair bows and halloween bandanas! Just too sweet!! They've spent the day with me at the office since last night I was babysitting all 5 of Tera's kids (4 plus 1 extra) while she is away on her honeymoon. Needless to say, Caitlin and Spencer were just so excited and giddy to get them! Both Annie and Gizmo slept with me last night so we'll see how it goes tonight in our own home!

Back Breakin' Labor

I know I haven't blogged in a while.....I've been extremely busy! But this past week I have been doing some sure 'nuf "back breakin' labor" on this dining room floor. I just got a wild hair one afternoon and decided to rip up the nasty looking carpet in my house and put down this fake hardwood flooring stuff...Man what an IMPROVEMENT!!! It was really really easy getting the stuff laid out and put down. What was so hard was the ripping up the wood that was nailed down that held the carpet around the edges.....My whole body was sore and give out after that. But it is all worth it now seeing how much better my dining room looks. I plan on doing the living room next, and the hallway all the way up to the foyer and the hallway down to the bedrooms. After I get all those areas done I'll have to get my molding for the edges of the floor. Needless to say I am proud!!!

Country girls on the farm

This past Saturday was spent with me cleaning house that morning and afternoon, and then off to the cotton field with all 3 girls. I was determined to take some photos of them out in the cotton....all wearing white shirts. I wasn't sure how they'd all act but once I started snapping pictures, they all started suggesting a photo by "this" or a photo with "that"...so by the day's end I had quite a selection. We did the cotton field pictures, we did the tractor pictures, even pictures on old tractor tires. Then it was off to the Fairview Baptist Church down the road that has a swampy pond behind it. Then I got the bright idea of them in front of an old shack and put it in black and white....so on the way there they saw an old cemetary and wanted to stop there!!!! So what did I do? Stop at this very old cememtary with headstones dating back to the late 1800's and early 1900's. Then when we finally got to the old shack they were almost too scared to get out and get near it. They thought it would fall down around them! Well, I made them hop out and stand in front of the old porch and then I snapped one and back in the truck they jumped! Man, Saturday WORE ME SLAP out! Three little girls....aged 10, 9, and almost 8...whew....but I survived!

Napanee Farms

Today I got the opportunity to take some shots of Jason out at Choctaw cutting beans for his operation Napanee Farms. Well, actually, I rode out their to pick up the prawns he got from somebody so I could put them on more ice and take to Sue Sue (his mom) for her to fix for supper! At Choctaw, he and his partner/best friend Bryan, have about 2300 acres of soybeans. I think they still like about 1500 to cut. The elevator lines are so long (like 100 trucks waiting...) that they can't get alot cut and in hoppers and have a truck to dump in. And to make things worse, the elevator is shutting down tomorrow. It was so dry and dusty to have been so soaking wet and under water just a couple of weeks ago. I only rode a couple of loops (cause riding a combine is pretty monotonous and boring) and then I headed back to the house. And after I write this blog I'm going to take myself a much needed afternoon NAP!!!!

Irresistable

Would you just look at this precious little dog! This morning Mark, Brandon and I rode out to a local chicken farm on official business and this little dog was there. The farmer told us someone just dumped her out there. Well, she took a liking to me. I opened the truck door to get in and jokingly told her to "come on" and she jumped right on up in there!! She stayed by my side the whole time we were there. Well, needless to say, they convinced me this was a good dog, and would love to go home with me and I agreed. Of course I only agreed because Brandon said in the event I couldn't that he would. I called her Skeeter at first. We got on down the road and the discussion of her being a good farm dog came up and that I should take her to Jason in Mississippi. Now his mother assured me Jason loves dogs and has always had a pet dog in the past until now. So, I called him up and told him I would bring this little jewel to him! He didn't seem overly excited at that. The more and more I play with her and pet her, the more attached I get.....but reality kicks in and I know that I can't take a dog to my house and leave the poor thing pinned up or tied up all day while we're at work. So, alas, I decided to let Brandon go ahead and take her home with him to live out in the country. I did give her a KFC chicken thigh and a cool whip bowl of water while here. Anyway, she's sorta been named the USDA mascot up here. Goodbye Skeeter.....happy living with the Satterlee's....and hope you don't meet the fate that most of his outside dogs have met!!!! (that would be meeting the rubber under a tire!)

Drew County Fair

Last night was armband night at the Drew County Fair so I took Caitlin, Brooklynn and Spencer and met Roxie and Ryan out there. The parking was awful...not because it was crowded but because it was MUDDY!!! People were getting stuck left and right. Thankfully we didn't get stuck. The kids bailed out and Spencer took off to go with his friends, so that left Brooklynn, Caitlin and Ryan to ride the rides together. The girls rode the Tilt-O-Whirl, Sizzler, Swings, 1001 Nachts (wait til you see that photo below....can't believe Caitlin rode it!!!!), the Merry Go Round, Nascar Race Cars, did the big slide and little slide. I even let them waste $10 on a couple of games. Trying to throw ping pong balls into bowls floating in a baby pool of water...to win a RABBIT!!! I was praying that one of them didn't get lucky and make it. I sure didn't want to haul a rabbit home. Anyway, by 8:00 p.m. my feet were hurting, the girls had a caramel apple everywhere and were still begging to ride more. I said Hell to tha naw! We got Spencer at 8:30 p.m. and hauled our tired butts home!!!

Guess who is up there on that????? WAAAAY UP THERE????????

Yep, these 2 little heathens!!!

Drew Co. Fair Parade Day

Today was the fair parade. Me and Caitlin, Spencer and Brooklynn all walked up to the square from my office to watch. I got a shot of the girls as we were heading back down the hill to the truck and had a perfect opportunity to snap one. I thought it was so cute of them holding hands walking together. It was so hot in the blaring sun. I was sweating, Caitlin was whining (what's new huh?) and Brooklynn was right up in the middle of everything, as usual. The girls were really mad that nobody threw any candy their way though. But, all in all it was a decent parade. Looks like we'll be going to the fair for armband night tomorrow night! YIPPEE!! Not.......

My Favorite Time of Year

Cotton harvest is my favorite time of year. Don't ask me why...it just is. It's in my blood. My grandfathers on both sides and my dad are/were cotton farmers. I love being out in the middle of all the cotton picking and harvesting and module building and everything. I love to see all the fields of white and feel the cooler air in the fall and smell the picked cotton. Yes.....it has a smell. Some must think I'm crazy. I got to take these photos of Jason's dad David Aka Pop-Pop picking their first field of cotton this afternoon. Caitlin rode the picker with Pop-Pop while Jason, Spencer and I watched on the turn row.

Birthday Bash

Saturday I loaded up Caitlin, Anna and Mary Cecil and headed back to Arkansas to pick up Brooklynn to go to Bayli Boney's birthday party. Her 8th birthday...time flies. Well anyway, she's all about cowgirl and horse stuff so John's son brought his horse Yeller down to the party and gave all the little ones a ride around the yard a time or two. They had a ball. Except for all the mosquitos!!! They tore us up! But it was a pretty day and the kids had fun. I felt like I was driving a school bus with 4 girls in there! Here's a few pics from the party.


Bayli Blair Boney-Birthday Girl!


Dakota Eyeman...is he not the cutest!!!!!

Entertainment on a Friday

This has been yet another slooooow Friday around USDA. I can only recount one customer all day, and it's nearly 3pm!!! I've read all the news I can stand. I've cleaned out my desk and rearranged files. I've actually filed a bunch of papers that have been stacking up for weeks now. Then, all of a sudden, we get some live entertainment here! Sandy's little granddaughter got to spend some time with us up here while her mom shopped for diapers. (better her than me I say!) I always love it when her grandkids get to come up here for a visit. They're so cute and sweet! Chandler is 5, Emersyn is nearly 2, Asher is probably 7 months, and the newest addition, Lilly, is now 2 1/2 months old. I love to hold 'em and play with them, and then when they start to cry give them back to their "nanny" or moma!! HAHA! Well Lilly got to visit today. And boy did she give us a show. No sooner than her moma pulled out of the driveway did she set up a howl and cry. Poor little thing....I tried to entertain her with my wild designed shirt, but that only lasted a minute. I even promised her I would dance a jig for her if she would get happy again.....but that didn't work either. Think her tummy must have been upset. Well, maybe not. Cause soon as her moma got her she quieted right down. Imagine that..... Oh and these shots were taken right when her mommy brought her in while she was still happy!

Finally someone helps!!

It's been a week or more since the storm blew down my tree out front. More than a week of it just laying there, all ugly and on top of my Mamaw Mills birdbath....until today. I finally talked the guys into bringing the chainsaw over and cutting my tree up for me so I could stack the pieces for the city to pick up. And as usual............Brandon is doing the work.....and the other two are "supervising"!! Well, I did manage to get Mark to at least put my birdbath back together after he pulled the limb off of it! Now, the real job will be for me and Spencer to get those limbs hauled to the other side of the house where they pick up trash! And an even harder job will be getting Spencer to actually help without complaining. Oh well, that's the life of a mother and a homeowner I guess....

T G I F!!!

Another week has come and gone....time flies when you're having fun. Heck, time flies when you get older too!! It's a slow Friday up here at the office....lot's of time on our hands. I snapped a few photos of "the gang" today. First off we have here breakfast (or what's left of it) after Brandon and I ravaged the box!!! Yep, a whole dozen reduced down to 3 donuts left. What the hay...we were hungry!! And after a breakfast like that, you know we were just starving for lunch, so Brandon and I headed off to Ameca for a hearty meal.....HA! Just look at that happy smile those donuts put on my face! (nevermind the pounds they put on my butt and thighs!!)

The boys across the hall "appear" to be working today. Not unusual. Just funny that they all of a sudden are busy when I start snapping pictures! There's the boss sitting at Mark's PC, and he's got 2 helpers there telling him how to do what he's supposed to do...There could be some explosions going on with all that brain power at work!!

And here's ol' Mark fumbling through papers and files and plat books just busy as can be.....AND it's FRIDAY!!! Can you believe this many of us are even here on a FRIDAY!!?? Well, I guess the other guys are his "funky bunch" sitting back there in the corner with him...hee hee...

I brought Caitlin's guitar in hoping that Brandon would tune her up for me....well, he tuned it up all right!!! Tuned it up so tight he broke a string! After all that hard work of tuning it, he broke a string and had to go to Walmart and put another one on before Caitlin get's here after school. Thought I was going to get him to perform LIVE today too! But he wasn't all for that.

Just a little something something

I haven't posted in several days so I figured I better get something on here. I spent the weekend in Indianola....again....and Mary Cecil had a Jamboree to cheer at. She attends Indianola Academy there and is a 5th grade peewee cheerleader. This is her in one of her many poses after she came home from the Jamboree.

And here is my little "guitar hero" with her very own real guitar. She's been strumming up a storm (and driving me insane!!) ever since we got it!! She's begged for one every time we go in Walmart so I finally gave in. What in the world was I thinking?? No, really, maybe she can teach herself to play and be the next Jewel!!! HAHA!!!