Deer on the Golf Course!

I happened to be in the backyard today with my camera when 2 deer ran across the golf course (Isabella). I think you can see one in the upper left hand side of the photo (in front of house in background).

What's also interesting is seeing the trusty dog not even noticing the deer at all. He never picked up their scent. Maybe he's olfactory challenged. Whatever! He's more interested in the sights/smells in the grass. Who cares about deer - they're overrated anyway! I guess Sam is like a lot of us - we tend to focus on what's next to us versus our surroundings (or the short term vs longer term). Have a great day! Don't forget to "look up" every now and then - you might miss something!

Tomatoes Gone WILD!

When we first planted our very small tomato plants in May, we were worried that they wouldn't survive. They really looked bad and just sat there for the longest time. However, as the temperature got warmer, they revived and exceeded our wildest expectations.

Most of the plants are now about 6 ft tall and taking over the corner of the patio. We've really enjoyed having vine ripe tomatoes; makes a big difference in salads. We think we've gotten a good "return on investment" with our tomato crop. However, we may plant them a bit later next year.



We also learned that we need more stable stakes to hold the plants in place. As they've gotten so big, the small cages we used simply can't support them when a good wind comes along. Oh well, another learning for next year's crop.

Sam's New "Do"

Sam - our 10 year old Golden Retriever - got a new haircut this week. This is his third short haircut of the summer. When the temperature is hot and his hair is long, he really pants a lot. The short cut makes a big difference.

After his cut, people stare at him and as if wondering what kind of dog he is. Oh well, it's fun to be "dinner conversation."

When we take him to Little Rock to get his cut, he starts shivering as soon as we turn into the Petco parking lot. He knows what's coming next. He's such a "wus". He sure is happy to see us when we get back. The woman who cuts him is very gentle with him, but Sam is just a "home body."

Visiting Papa in Ft. Worth

We had a chance to visit Papa at Stonegate on Saturday, August 9. He looked good and enjoyed getting to see everyone - especially Logan. I think Logan also enjoyed Papa.


Karen and Renee got a chance to get their picture made with Papa. Everyone say "cheese."

Finally Rosie got into the act. Here's a picture of Papa, Karen and Rosie - a great looking bunch!

Family Crop - dangerous to mental health!

The women in the family got together for a "Family Crop" at Julie and Dale Stonecipher's house the weekend of 09-AUG-2008. The shot below is the women before they started to crop. Notice how cheerful and relaxed they all look. Ready for days and nights of picture cutting and matting, journaling, etc. Little did they know the impact this would have on their mental health!

This is the photo of the same women after 2 days of scrapbooking. Notice any difference? No? Well the poor women are mentally exhausted and "over the edge" - a scary site.

Well, obviously I'm just kidding. I know they all had a great time and can vouch for their mental sanity - at least a few of them. Thanks Stoneciphers for hosting us. We had a great time.

Karen, Jamie and Mary

On Saturday, 02-AUG, Karen's best friends from high school in Japan (Canadian Academy) arrived for a visit. The two friends are: Mrs. Jamie Voss (Boston) and Dr. Mary Mallof (Madison, WI). We think they enjoyed just being together and getting to visit with each other. Bob and Rosie had a great time taking care of Logan while the girls visited. The three of them went to Hot Springs, AR, one day to have a hot mineral water bath at the Arlington Hotel. Based on their comments, they had a great time. We also took them to The Shack (aka the "Jesseville Country Club") for dinner. Both Mary and Jamie had fried catfish sandwiches. We also ordered fried okra, fried green beans and fried onion rings - notice any pattern here? We hope they enjoyed a taste of southern hospitality and will return to visit again (maybe in cooler weather)!

Jamie-----Mary-----Karen

Karen and Logan's Visit

Karen and Logan arrived 30-JUL and stayed with us until 05-AUG. We had a great time visiting with Karen and Logan and Karen's best friends, Mary and Jamie (arrived on Saturday). Rosie and Bob kept Logan busy so Mom could get a little scrapbooking done.

Karen made great progress getting "layouts" completed. She's ready for the "family crop" on Friday and Saturday, 08- and 09-AUG.

Logan is a great little guy and is really busy. He doesn't miss a thing. Logan and Bapa (Bob) had fun playing at "toy central."

He has a great smile. He also seems to want to know how everything works - a lot like his Dad. He is also a real talker - of course we don't know what he's saying, but he sure talks a lot.

Logan was also very interested in Bapa's guitar. He really enjoyed plucking the strings and hearing the sound it made. Maybe a future musician?

Logan is also beginning to stand a lot and move from one object to the next - pretty wobbly, but he's a daring little guy. We think Mom and Dad may have an early walker on their hands. Oh joy! Logan would also hold out his hand while he was standing as if to say, "Hey, need some help here! Where's your finger so I can grab it? I'm ready to move on."

We had a great time "babysitting" for Karen. Shane - thanks for sharing them with us.

It's HOT in Arkansas!

Wow it's HOT here in Arkansas. On Saturday, 02-AUG, the temperature was 102.7 F in the shade on our deck. We really don't feel like doing a whole lot outside when the temperature is that hot. Even at midnight, the temperature is still in the upper 80's or low 90's. Oh well - Fall isn't too far away. Hope it's cooler where you are.