Lapse in posting

Sorry for the month long lapse in posting - there has been so much happening - but I have been taking pictures that will be showing up here soon! Give me a bit and I'll have more to post.....

Softball and Summer Weather

Well, Elizabeth's softball is over for the summer. We had many fun evenings at the ballparks watching the girls play. They did a great job of showing the other teams how softball is to be played. The girls had fun and really learned how to play as a team and how to be good sports, unlike a couple of the other teams who had coaching problems....

Last Friday's game was to be a double header to make up for a missed game, but the weather decided to step in and cause some trouble. We were in the second inning (I think) and the sky got dark and the wind blew and the lightning flashed with booms of thunder and little girls screamed at that really high pitch only they can reach. My ears are still ringing.

We headed to the cars to sit out the rain only to receive a phone call that there was roof damage reported by one of our neighbors (Marty's ex-in-laws). Marty was at work so I called him and I tried to get out of the ballpark to head home to check on things. It took a little longer than normal to get home due to a tree in the road (thank you to the gentleman in the gray truck for moving it), I arrived home to find a few branches and some roofing off the old shed but nothing major. No power as I expected.

Marty and I then loaded up some things and headed to the Carroll's to lend a hand. Marty and James and others worked until after midnight to get things taken care of and we headed home to crank the generator at the house, at least we thought we would crank the generator... No such luck, so at 2:15 a.m. I told Marty he could work on it all night but I was going to bed!

We had power restored about 2 p.m. Saturday so it was not too bad. It did get a little warm but we made it. James is handling repairs to the Carrol's home so they are in good hands. James works so hard and takes on so much - he is the guy you want in your corner when the going gets tough!

Enjoy the softball photos - I do not have weather damage photos available to post (took some and should have some soon)

HAve a great day!!

News from the garden

Just when we think it will be dry, it rains. Candace and the kids have made two trips out to the “farm” to dust the garden with Sevin Dust for bugs. Of course, 30 minutes after they left it RAINED! Thankfully we have not noticed a large number of bugs or have had much damage, but we have to be proactive on this. I have seen bugs ruin a plant overnight here in the country.

We are also seeing lots of deer tracks in and around the garden but not seeing any damage (yet). I have been told to use coyote urine in the garden to stop this problem, however have not yet figured out how to get the coyotes to urinate in the garden. Do you put up signs or invite them over? I know that many dog parks put fire hydrants out – do coyotes understand what a fire hydrant is used for? Guess I’ll have to research this and report back when I have more information.

I have now had my first salad made with fresh grown garden ingredients. Tomato, lettuce and cucumber! Wonderful! We have only harvested two small tomatoes and four small cucumbers from the garden, but they were very good! Thank you to Candace for the lettuce. I worried that it would grow and kept watch over it for weeks, then all of a sudden it was there!!!

The squash plants are putting on blooms like crazy. I am not a squash eater, so hope that James or Candace are. I do have a recipe for squash relish so might try that out. Will have to find someone who will volunteer to taste-test it for me.

I am really excited that the watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew melon vines are taking off like they are. Marty is going to see about getting some hay to put under the melons as they begin to grow to get them off the dirt. Do not know if this will do anything, but sounds good to me. I don’t remember any hay in the watermelon fields in Elkhart, but the soil there is sandier than here we have a lot of clay in the soil here.

This is the first year we have had apples! I do not know anything about apples, and do not know if these are green apples, red apples or what! If it’s anything like the pears, the birds will harvest them before we do. We also have pears and peaches not to forget my favorite’s blueberries! Nothing tastes better than fresh blueberries right off the bush. I have one or two bags left in the freezer from last year and am thinking about making some cobbler or some blueberry syrup.

Enjoy the photos from our garden!

The Brown Thrush

The Mocking-bird of the North, as the Brown Thrush has been called, arrives in the Eastern and Middle States about the 10th of May, at which season he may be seen, perched on the highest twig of a hedge, or on the topmost branch of a tree, singing his loud and welcome song, that may be heard a distance of half a mile. The favorite haunt of the Brown Thrush, however, is amongst the bright and glossy foliage of the evergreens. "There they delight to hide, although not so shy and retiring as the Blackbird; there they build their nests in greatest numbers, amongst the perennial foliage, and there they draw at nightfall to repose in warmth and safety." The Brown Thrasher sings chiefly just after sunrise and before sunset, but may be heard singing at intervals during the day. His food consists of wild fruits, such as blackberries and raspberries, snails, worms, slugs and grubs. He also obtains much of his food amongst the withered leaves and marshy places of the woods and shrubberies which he frequents. (http://www.birdnature.com/mar1897/thrush.html)

We have been fortunate to be able to follow the "birth" of four Brown Thrush babies in the snowball bush next to our driveway. I have taken many photos of the nest and eggs and the babies since they were born. Between the grandkids peeking at the nest and the fact that the nest is located at Lab/Golden mouth level - the parents have become very protective of the babies. This morning while snapping the latests photo of the babies one of the parents kept my attention while the second one attacked me from behind!! He/She pecked me on the back of the leg twice!

Enjoy the photos while I limp back to my desk!

These photos were taken between May 25 (eggs) and June 9, 2009.

No photos please

This entry will not have any photos associated with it as I do not take photos of snakes!

Okay, I have a huge fear of snakes. I don't remember worrying about snakes as a child, I knew they were out there, but did not stop playing just because I thought there might be one in the grass. I even remember playing in the fields, where we KNEW there were SNAKES!!!

Last night, as I was talking to The Beebs and walking around the front yard enjoying the rain cooled air and looking up at the sky, I had an encounter with a reptile. No I do not know what brand of snake - brand?? do snakes have brands? - anyway, I very calmly told The Beebs that I would have to call her back as there was a snake in the yard. I closed my cell phone and then flew (yes I flew) to the steps and bounded into the house to announce to Marty that he needed to get outside and kill the snake!!!

After having to point out the snake to him - for heaven's sake it was almost 50 feet long with flames and teeth and smoke pouring out of it's ears and he had to have it pointed out to him?!?! He then asked me to hand him the SKS (a little overkill as the 38 is loaded with rat shot) and he headed out to take care of the intruder.

After three shots of the rifle, lots and lots of howling barking and hiding by the dogs, and a couple of whacks with a long pipe the snake was no more and I headed back outside to continue my phone call with Beebs.

Life in rural Mississippi can be hazardous to my health!

Oh How Does Your Graden Grow??

With all the rain we have been getting our garden is growing quite well. I am worried that we have gotten too much rain, but things seem to be okay for now.

James, Candace, and I with lots of help from Elizabeth and Cole, managed to get the trellises up just in time as the plants are beginning to run. It was very muddy and we did get rained on, but it is completed.

We have lots of birds in the yard and there are many nests in and around the house. I took photos of two nests that are easy to get to. I will have to watch that the dogs and Houston are not allowed to get to close. I am not a bird person so have no earthly idea what type eggs these are.

We also have a squirrel who throws things at Marty and who allows me to get within arms reach of him to take photos so I've included one of him. He just digs int he grass and looks at me on occasion. He is a ham and will pose for a photo.

Not much else to report today. Enjoy the photos.

Memorial Day

What does Memorial Day mean to you? Does it mean a three day weekend, end of school classes, family reunions, or is it just another day?

The official Wikipedia definition of Memorial Day: A United States federal holiday, observed on the last Monday of May (on May 25 in 2009). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War (it is celebrated near the day of reunification after the civil war), it was expanded after World War I to include American casualties of any war or military action.

For me Memorial Day holds many special meanings.

For as far back as I can remember the Bennett family has held a reunion in the East Texas piney woods town of Elkhart, TX. Aunts, uncles, cousins, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, in-laws and a few outlaws have gathered at the farm to visit and catch up on the latest in family news. We have kept the memories of family members who were no longer with us alive while sitting under the big oak in the yard with a glass of sweet tea or while walking around the cemetery at Pilgrim Church reading headstones and passing family history on to the youngsters.

I also remember back to school times when Memorial Day was the end of the school year and the beginning of summer. The excitement I felt at thinking about the fun we would have without the daily grind of school. From visiting the farm with Daddy to spending time with my god parents in SE Louisiana, to finding a cool spot to relax and read a book , to just lie on the grass picking out cloud formations that looked like animals, I did enjoy my summers.

I will spend Memorial Day 2009 in NE Mississippi and not at the farm in Texas with family. I have not made many plans for the weekend, if the weather allows it Marty and I will work in the yard on Saturday and I will be attending church services on Sunday and will certainly spend time reading a book and enjoying some fun with my dogs. But I will also take time to remember our fallen heroes, those wonderful men and women who have given their lives for our country in lands far from home. I will remember growing up with Steve. The football games he organized, the bowling tips he gave me and the times I know that I frustrated him to the nth degree, like a good little sister should. I will remember the day that we received the call telling of his death. The days afterward when we wished that the call had never come.

I can never again hear the strains of Taps playing in the distance without remembering that day, with family and friends standing near, when we said goodbye. I know that I am not alone, there are many who have lost family in the service of their country. Let us not forget these brave warriors. Let us hold them close and thank them for their sacrifices.

I know that I will stop for a few moments this weekend to say a special prayer in memory of our brave soldiers, airmen, marines, and sailors. Will you? Will you remember the brave men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice? Will you remember the families who stood in cemeteries around the world and said goodbye?

It only takes a moment. They gave a lifetime.

Sorry for the lapse in posting....

I have been tied up at work. I know - that is not a good excuse, but I am asking for some sympathy here folks. I had to prepare to speak in front of around 300 people!

So, all is better now. The conference was a great success and I did not make a complete fool of myself in front of all my peers. I am so proud of the conference committee and how we pulled together and made the 2009 Excellence in Administrative Support Conference a grand success! Way to go team!

Today I am digging out of the mound of paper on my desk and the countless emails I have in my inbox - the result of being out of the office for a day and a half. Tomorrow I will be posting new photos and more of my daily life in Mississippi.

Gardening

I need to make one comment before I even begin talking about gardens and flowers and growing green things (other than those green fuzzy things in the back of the refrigerator.....) I do not have a green thumb. My thumb is an ugly sort of brownish reddish grayish... I kill plants as a matter of fact, I have been accused of killing a silk arrangement. I cannot give you any tips to making your garden grow. You have to ask Beebs for that. If you will notice - Marty is the one actually in the garden, I am allowed to take photos only.

So here we go....... Marty and James decided to pant a garden this year. That gave Marty all the permission he needed to hook up the disk behind the 4-wheeler and begin to roar around the yard. Thankfully he kept the digging to the area behind the shop so it is hidden from view. All in all it is probably less than an acre as he chose to plant in and around the fruit trees and blueberry bushes on the fill. He has not planted 52 tomato plants plus he and James have planted purple hull peas, bush beans, speckled butter beans, squash, cucumber, cantaloupe, watermelon, hot peppers, sweet peppers, lettuce and okra.

Ever since they planted we have had rain just about every day so have not been able to stake the tomatoes nor put up the needed material for the peas and beans to climb upon. And we have more rain in the forecast. Even mowing the grass has become a difficult task. Yesterday I spent and hour and twenty minutes with the push mower on the front yard. The ground is so saturated that the tractor and zero turn mowers would sink and rut the yard.

So here are a few pictures of the garden from day one of planting to day 10.

Enjoy

Hummingbirds

It is that time of the year again. Time for the daily (sometimes twice a day) filling of the hummingbird feeders. I generally put out three or four and fill them each morning, however last year I was filling them morning and afternoon on some days. One morning I counted no less than 18 of the little hummers feeding at the two feeders near my front door.

The first few weeks they will fly off when I walk out the door and will not return until I move a fair distance away. Then as the summer progresses they get really brave (or hungry) and will even feed while I am holding the feeder.

I am posting a couple of photos from last year and will post more this summer when I can get some good snapshots.

Enjoy!!

Memories Part Two

The next photos are of people who will be fondly remembered at the reunions. There is a photo of Daddy and Aunt Junie at the domino table in the front room of the farm house, and one of Uncle Philip enjoying the shade of the old oak tree. I have fond memories of my trips to the farm. Time seemed to slow to a crawl when we were there.

Memories Part One

Life has a way of opening your eyes and bringing back fond memories from days gone by. With the Bennett family reunion coming up on Memorial Day, I have been looking back over some photos that I took at the farm in East Texas and wanted to share a few with you. The first photo is of the big oak taken in October of 2006. The second is a photo of the same oak taken a month ago after it fell during a storm. I have fond memories of playing around the oak with Daddy grilling ribs and chops and all the relatives enjoying the shade from the hot Texas sun.

Geese and such...

Today's photo was taken in fall 2008 of the geese that wintered on the farm ponds around the house. They move from one pond to another at various times during the day and often fly right over the house honking and carrying on. Bear will run around the yard and try to jump up and catch them. It is quite funny to see. I have not gotten the courage to try and get up close to these geese. I've seen too many funny videos of of the pain that a goose can inflict on a human.

It's Raining - Again.

What is up with this weather? More rain expected today with a small chance that tomorrow will be dry only to have rain forecast for the rest of the week and weekend. My toes are beginning to web and I think the dogs have begun to grow gills!

Today's photo was taken in November 2006 of a young Bobcat who came to visit for a few days. She was checking out the burn pile in the yard when I snapped this photo. The dogs did not even bark at her. It is amazing the number of different creatures we see here in rural MS.

Most of you have heard that our old Jake dog earned his angel wings on Friday May 8, 2009. Jake came to us already an "old" dog. We estimated that he was between 8 and 10 years old and that was 4 years ago. About 6 weeks ago we discovered that Jake had a tumor on his back leg and that it was probably osteo-sarcoma. We kept him comfortable and made his last days with us as happy as we could.

Jake's pain has ended, and he leaves a huge void in our lives. We miss you Jake.

This is Lee Lee, the newest member of our family. She came to us through the local vet who asked me to help her. She had been brought in with a broken jaw and her "people" did not want to spend the money to repair the jaw. We took her in and had her jaw repaired and once she was released we took her to LA to be placed in foster care and be adopted out. Well.... Marty and I did not make it back to MS without her. After 2 hours on the road we turned around and returned to BeeBee's house to pick her up.

Lee Lee is about 9 months old and we have determined that she is ADD. The little stinker keeps us all on our toes.

This is Sport, our Rat Terrier. He came to us from the local vet and was adopted out through PAAW in Youngsville, LA. Several months passed and we were contacted by the family who said that they would have to return him because he was biting and they could not keep him. Once he returned to us we realized that there was something very wrong with Sport. We thought that maybe he had been abused or had sustained a head injury. Once I got him back to MS I took him to my vet who diagnosed him with a liver shunt and placed him on a restricted diet and medications. We got him through the first night then another and then on the road to recovery. He is still on a very restricted diet and we have to be careful of the medications he is given. He is a great companion, and loves to snuggle with Marty while they watch TV.

These two beautiful boys are Bear (Black Lab) and Duke (Golden Retriever), they are both rescues. Bear came to us in 1999 when I "retired" from Chevron. He was one of four puppies rescued along the interstate by Rae. Duke was literally dumped out of a vehicle on the gravel road that runs in front of our house. He was severely malnourished, and nothing but skin and bones (very little hair). He weighed about 39 pounds. The vet told me I would not be able to save this one - Duke and I proved him wrong.

Bear and Duke have great temperaments and are always good for laughs and hugs.

This is Houston - the only feline in the furry gang, but acts more canine than some dogs. She has chronic renal failure but is doing well with diet modifications and periodic administration of sub-q fluids and antibiotics.

A first try at blogging

Here goes nothing... I have been considering starting a blog to share daily tidbits of information and photos with family and friends. Please take your seat, buckle your harness and stand by for the ride of your life!