HOLY MOLY...IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME!

WELL, MY GOODNESS...I CAN'T EVEN KEEP UP WITH MY BLOG...IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR...SCHOOL IS WINDING DOWN AND REPORTS,AWARDS,PICNICS,TRACK MEETS, FIELD TRIPS, FINAL GRADES...only 7 more school days for most kids..and then those who don't qualify for the FLEX days, because their test scores are not up to snuff, have to stay for 5 more days!

Let's see...what all has passed by since the last posting...EASTER... Dyke's mom made a wonderful meal for us, but unfortunately, Dyke was called out to patrol one of the lakes for looters (after the fires destroyed many of the homes), so the boys and I went over to her place. Momo (Dyke's Grandmother who is 97) was there too! She was doing great. Here are the boys with her...I know it looks like Jake has an earring, but it's just the light!!! HA! (his father would NOT be happy with his son wearing an earring!)

The ROYAL WEDDING and THE KISS

MOTHER'S DAY...Here are my parents at their beautiful home in Massachusetts...I can't tell you how difficult it is being 2000 miles away from them....(That's my brother's new pup, Flynn.)

My Mother's Day was wonderful! We went to church and then Dyke made a delicious steak dinner and cleaned the kitchen...he even did the grocery shopping for the meal! Zack made me a card and gave me 2 beautiful and very symmetrical wild hog teeth to make some jewelry out of. He found the skull out on the deer lease while turkey hunting! Not many mom's would truly enjoy receiving hog's tusks for Mother's Day, but it was PERFECT for me!

Pictures from back during duck hunting season. Zack and his buddies...Zack is on the far left and the two guys on the far right are his friends from Huntsville - one is a chiropractor and the other is a physical therapist. The other 2 young guys are sons of a doctor friend of theirs. Zack did a lot of the guiding and of course, Penny, the wonder-dog did the retrieving!

With turkey season and duck season far over now, Zack prepares for his summer fishing by tying flies to use with his new fly rod. Dyke and Zack will head to the coast for a week of fishing and camping, when school is out. Then, Zack will journey up to Colorado for a month, to work at Adventure Experiences, where Dyke and I worked for many years. He will be part of the staff, leading backpacking, rafting, rock climbing and fly fishing trips...
Fly tying takes nimble fingers!


The end product! These are called "Clouser Minnows".

Dyke getting ready for work - strapping on his gun belt.

The figs are growing...

The chickens LOVE to hunt and peck around the farm!

The garden, back at planting time....

Our resident garden turtles have emerged from hibernation and are quite hungry...fresh strawberries were a nice welcoming present.








THE GIRLS - who I work with! What a great group!!!We have a blast working together!!

Jess showed up at the door one morning as I was heading out to work...she had found a bobcat and was bringing it home to show...I just love living in the country!

Although we are in a serious drought, we have had some sprinkles, but if we don't have more rain going into summer, we will be in a BAD SITUATION. Our tank is nearly dry and the crops are withered...Please pray for us! Its' crazy that some places in this country are UNDER WATER and others are drying up and blowing away! Here was a rainbow that I saw as I was driving home one day.


Although this was back during turkey season....I still wanted to include it. Zack shot a turkey and we grilled it for supper one night...Mmmmmm, Nothing is better than fresh wild turkey! Dyke and Zack sure helped with providing meat...we have a freezer full of duck, turkey, venison and crane!


Zack - with the henhouse culprit! I went in to gather eggs one afternoon and this guy was coiled up in one of the nesting boxes! As I leaned my head in, I quickly pulled back...luckily, his belly was full, so he did not strike me...we could feel the broken eggs in his belly. This was the 3rd year that Zack has caught this snake...we could tell because the end of his tail was just a nub where the dogs had bitten it off one year! Zack took him down the road and released him into the creek bed...maybe he won't find his way back...it kinda makes your stomach jump when you lean your head and hands in to the nesting boxes to gather eggs!




Well, I will try to keep better tabs on my blog than I have been. With summer almost here, I will have more time to attend to it. Thanks for checking in! I truly appreciate ALL of my followers!! God Bless!! God Bless America!