Editing Dummy Here...

I am working on a clip so you can finally hear Andrew play.  I have no idea how to begin but just know I am trying.

I, the photographer, am fired. I have fired myself.  Andrew has practiced twice with the new 289 Band since they have changed things up.  Two old members remain four were added.  

Andrew was the only invited "special guest" with the band.  The Izard County Consolidated High School opened this act with their school band.  The entire band played well.  I'm a sucker for sax and horns...they were great.

The theme for this show was the history of rock and roll.  Chuck the writer/announcer/guitar player told the story as we traveled from the forties to the present.  We heard Beatles, Sonny and Cher, The Turtles, CCR with John Fogerty, The Carpenters, Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, Stevie Nix, Booker T and The MGs, Janis Joplin, Elvis, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Lynyrd Skynyrd The Kinks and many more I can't remember...not because they weren't good but because I forgot!

Andrew played three solos I think and was on stage playing back up the entire time.  He had been there since one o'clock and the show ended at nine.  He was tired but still had energy to get phone numbers

from some fans.  A young lady wanted him to join her in a talent show.  She sings.  He plays.  That's all I know.  Andrew ain't talking!

The crowd was great.  Hoots and hollers from old gray haired people...that includes me. Many people stood up during one of Andrew's solos.  He played solos in Hey Joe, Pride and Joy, Green Onions and more that I've forgotten.  Next time I will take notes and no pictures.

"...and the crowd went wild" was true this night.  The radio station from another county was there broadcasting live.  A good friend suggested maybe the radio has a recording of the complete performance

This was the best family photo I could get not including me, Hubby, Jake (middle grandson) and Stormi, Toni's daughter.  I was happy to catch this many in one spot with SOME of them looking at the camera.

Left to right:  Zander (youngest grandson, son of Maria), Toni, (nephew), Maria (daughter, Andrew's mom), Melissa (oldest daughter, mother of Jake) and our star of the night, Andrew.

I am so proud of Andrew's God gifted, self taught talent.  I am proud of all my family.

It was just a magical night.  

Soon, I promise, I will figure out how to edit film and make it small enough to post.

May your day be filled with wonderful music.

Down and Dirty On Easter

Many know we have live water from springs.  This is pumped into the house for our convenience (I have carried many a buckets from this spring).  Our water is far better and sweeter tasting that any city water I've had.  The rock circle is where the pump sits suspended in clear spring water.  My grandpa and Dad made this years ago.  

The bad part about all this is we have to clean and flush the spring at least twice a year according to conditions.  Well we missed last year (Hubby's and Marcy's illness).  Our water remained clear and sweet but this day of work was long over due. 

This is not a one man job.  So we invited family with the lure of Marcy's cooking and they went to work.

First you make a plan.  The culvert for over flow was removed to flush out the area removing moss and two years of natural deposits in the bottom of the holding pond.

Then you jump in and start moving the mud.  The more mud moving out the better.  The blanket moss goes out with the current.

Basically it is like making wine.  You squish the mud and work it down stream with your feet.  Andrew kept us hydrated.

Second grandson Jake ran to get whatever we needed, sometimes driving the Ranger or running as fast as he could go.  Andrew and Jake played some foot ball

and then they deserted us.

Shoveling muck is fun.  Now maybe we won't have to clean it again till next spring...hopefully!

We scrubbed everything, dug muck and pushed water.  We've done this since childhood but it was all done by hand then.  We would dig grass from this branch all the way to the creek.  It was an all day job for four generations.

 We rescued critters

and moved them to a safer place.  Our plan was to bleach the main spring to kill the blanket moss but not the live things.  The bleach will do its job and it will dissipate before it reaches the pond or creek.

Boots were no good.  

All was work was done barefooted.

Melissa, my oldest daughter,

captured a mother/daughter portrait.

The work continues and the water level lowered.  Melissa said she never saw any pictures on my blog of her.  I wonder if she will be proud of this one!  Bev, my sister, is working that mud so it can move on out.

Marcy, my oldest sister, came over to tell us she had cooked a feast.  Toni, my nephew, did work although I have few pictures of it.

We chlorinated while Hubby dammed the creek.  We ate a mouth watering belly filling delicious dinner at Marcy's and returned to the spring.

Busting the dam.

Replacing the culvert with Toni looking like a Highway Department employee we are nearing completion.

Now we are back in the pure water business again.

As the world celebrated the Resurrection

we resurrected our water source.

Guam

I think my nephew likes rubbing it in.  Toni is in Guam enjoying clear skies, white sand and fishing.  I'm sure he's enjoying more than that but he won't share all his secrets.

For those of you who are still in the deep throes of winter.  Close your eyes and imagine you are there.

I would like to see a smile.

Toni and Lee

Toni also knows I love rocks!

Wish I were there.

Eureka Springs...

The famous Crescent Hotel

Basin Spring Park

Spring break...see you soon.

Summary of Sanity

or is that insanity?  Toni, my nephew, Bev's oldest son has been isolated in Alaska for two years.  We have all missed him.  Jake was worried he may be twelve before Toni ever came home again.

Toni always gives each of us that special attention, the respect that makes us all feel special.  He is the most like Dad.

We had planned on an auction but were not impressed so we ate out and took what the day dealt us.  We had rain but that did not stop our exploring.

We found a public access point on South Fork of Spring River and kayaking and fly fishing both came to mind.  Toni is a dyed-in-the-wool fisherman and takes his fishing seriously.  This place caught our attention.

Toni has farmed a little.

He has escorted Marcy on Ranger rides and to appointments and to family dinners with nephews and nieces.

I don't know what day we did our thing but the week has been a whirl wind of basketball games, appointments, and home cooking.  

We are all glad Toni is home again.  I'm fairly certain Mom and Dad are smiling.

Snow...

The holiday has passed but the snow is staying.   

The crowd I have housed and fed after the holidays...

Hubby, Andrew from Delaware, Toni from Alaska and Andrew.

We played board games (Delaware Andrew and grandson Jake)

We played video games.

We let it snow...

and snow

and snow!

They tried to sled but the cold sent them in again.

Hope your holidays were memorable, too.

It's Magical!!

You and the rest of my family

are At The Farm,

while Andrew and I are singing the blues,

in Mississippi,

with BB King.

Maybe there'll be no Candied Apple Caper

like the time Toni, my nephew, took us!

Toni, Happy Birthday!

My nephew, the builder of the big red barn...has a birthday.  Not a spring chick anymore, Toni was born in '69.  He is the one who takes me on wild adventures, makes me gamble, and reminds me that all things are possible.  Toni makes me laugh.  He shows me life through different eyes and has a big heart.

Thank you, Toni, for being you...and helping me take off my lion costume!  Happy Birthday...love you bunches.  As beautiful as Alaska is, I want you home!!

Maverick Toni And Anchor Gail

Bev and Andrew viewing the gaming floor...no children allowed. They enjoyed the room and had wonderful conversations while Toni and I tried to win millions.

The entry to my demise.

"River Boat ring your bell , fare the well, Annabelle, Maverick is the legend of the West."

Toni came to corrupt me. This is only my second trip in my fifty-four years to a casino and I really had no urges to gamble. The rooms were free and the meals were free...that was the appeal.

Toni corrupted me. I came from a card playing family, and though we did not gamble, (we played with matchsticks) Gaming must be in my blood.

I protested, which Toni did not hear, I just wanted to lay in a comfortable bed and enjoy the rest. I groaned and Toni did not listen...so, I surrendered...only to keep Toni from spending millions.

We approached the room, ding, ding, the sounds hit my ears like a voodoo chat convincing me I could behave like an experienced gambler.

Of course Maverick, a regular according to his coupons, had many free things to play. We visited the one arm bandit and I made him cash in when he was up(ahead on his money, for those of you who are not experienced players like me!)

We hit a three card poker table, now this I know how to play...right! Home rules are not casino rules. We lost some, we won some. Anchor made Maverick walk when the chips were even. We hit a cow pile table or something that sounded like that. I would have had better luck with a cow pile but once again this was not the old home game of high/low.

What is going on? We rubbed Buddha's belly at the zoo. We made all the right moves and said we needed new shoes. We talked to Lady Luck and begged her to visit us and she did occasionally. But Maverick has this let 'er ride gambling skill that drove me loopy. Maybe when you have money, there is a casualness about losing money. That's a gallon of milk and ice cream we just lost. There goes a week of meat.

...but wait a minute, I am having fun. We are breaking even. We are playing for free!

I shall probably never return but I must say, I had fun. Didn't take it too seriously and helped Toni come out with his pockets still full. Thank you, Toni, for giving a small taste of the wild side.

Traveling...

Was as much fun as getting there. Andrew is reading the map as Toni casually follows the instructions. Getting lost is not a problem, Toni knows where it is going, he is teaching Andrew map skills without making it an obvious lesson. Toni is wonderful with children and people in general. A absolutely fun trip, Thank you, Toni!

The Memphis Zoo

"Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves." Speaking of the web of life.

Bev, looking around for the man she just knocked out of his boots.

Observing the captured animals as they observed the captor race.

Touching Buddha for luck.

Meet the new man on the block...resting and waiting for the women to come to him.