I'm a Lucky Winner!

Rex and the Crew at the famous Christmas Place Plantation Hunting Club , down in the Mississippi Delta,decided they would have a classic car give-away. The suspense was getting unbearable around here. Kept checking back to see who a lucky winner could possibly be over at Deer Camp Blog . Then when I wasn't looking I got this e-mail from my friend Marian - "Did you know that you just won the first of a 5 car give-a-way on Rex's site? You go girl!" Hugs, Marian :) WooHoo!!! So off I go to see what gem I have now become a proud owner. Ah a 1951 Plymouth Cambridge, probably a power machine in its earlier days...nice car! I have always been partial to Chrysler products. lol Can't wait to see what the other four classic cars are to be given away. Good luck to you. Oh yeah Rex... Hubby says "Tell 'em not to send it FedEx".

Thanks to Rex at Christmas Place Plantation and Marian ("Vanna")of Marian's Hunting Stories etc., etc., etc...for the picture of my new set of wheels. I love it! ;)

May I suggest that you head over to the Deer Camp Blog for your chance at winning the next classic beauty...

Wonderful Wild Raspberries

It is time for all the natural crafters to be out surveying the countryside again!The season is upon us to be gathering another natural resource here in Iowa. Hubby isn't a great fan of these little drupes because of their small size and abundant seeds, but I sure do like them. Keeping things really simple, I put about a cupful in a bowl and eat them with a sprinkling of sugar. I might put a few on top of a pancake, or cereal for breakfast if the urge strikes. There has been some discussion about wild raspberries and blackberries on the 'Net due to the season. I would like to pass along how you can determine the difference between the two. The North American Raspberry and Blackberry Association says when asked - How do you tell the difference between a blackberry and black raspberry? The most obvious difference is that a black raspberry is hollow -- the core of the fruit stays on the plant when it is picked, while the core stays in a blackberry. Black raspberry fruit are also smaller, less shiny. and have a bluish waxy coating between the sections of the berry. I stopped by Wandering Owl Outside and found a recipe to use for our summertime berry pickings. The pictures make a totally scrumptious experience. While joining all the other berry pickers in finding some delectable treats I ran across a nest with 4-little eggs. The wild raspberry brambles make a fantastic fortress, but the mother Robin wasn't anywhere to be seen. A little wren had come to enjoy the space when I went to the house to get the camera . Only to flit away before the camera would focus. The timber is pleasantly filled with a multitude of birds sharing their happy songs as they feast on nature's bounty. A great way to spend time in the great outdoors being serenaded by the little tweeters. Here's wishin' you all the best of a berry....be sure to stop by Wandering Owl Outside for a recipe, so you too can be ready for a tasty treat. ;)

God Bless America

We have come to a another day of celebrating freedom in the history of our great nation, The United States of America... I find inspiration in the song of Lee Greenwood, a song that you are probably able to vocalize, because of how familiar it has become in our times of opposition in recent years. Today, I would like to send out to all citizens of this great country a wish for God to Bless America, keep us united in thought and deed, remaining a strong unified body, protecting what belongs to us - The Home of the Free and the Brave.....

Eureka!

Thanks to Jody at The Hunter's Wife, who ran a blog contest from June 10th - June 16th, I have received a Lady Bug sleeping bag produced for the Eureka Tent Co. to fit the little girl campers in our lives. The sleeping bag arrived from Johnson Outdoors ,Racine,WI. by FedEx on Tuesday last week...a very speedy delivery. Now it is time to plan an occasion to use it . I wish to extend many thanks to the sponsor. ;)

Anniversary Celebration

Our 34th Wedding Anniversary would not be spent at home... We headed out to the Texas Roadhouse for a very filling lunch. You will be greeted with the phrase "Are you ready to get the party started"?, when you enter the front door to be seated. The host/hostess staff will grab a basket of sweet white dinner rolls accompanied by cinnamon butter and lead you off to where your waiter/waitress will take your order. While you wait for the appetizer, or your main meal you can enjoy snacking on peanuts in the shell if you have some hunger pangs to satisfy. We started off with a "Baby Bloom" since there was only the two of us, we didn't even eat the whole thing,so we would have room for the main course,just needed a taste of the sauce. Hubby ordered his favorite "Barbecued Ribs" with sides of baked beans & caesar salad. I decided to have the breaded catfish with a sauteed carrots and broccoli mix with a caesar salad also. We both had the Cherry Limeade for our lunchtime libation, very tastey that is if you like sweet drinks. More than ample servings of food will either leave you full as a tick, or ready to heat and serve later at home. We highly recommend you stop by the Texas Roadhouse closest to you. It was off to see a movie next. The new Transformers : Revenge of the Fallen movie was released at the Des Moines Science Center IMAX Dome Theater on June 24th,a midnight showing no-less...Ummm, NO! We didn't go to that one. Instead I made an online ticket purchase for the 1:00 PM showing on Sunday,June 28th. I liked the perk of not having to wait in line to buy our tickets. We presented the receipt printed off at home to the cashier at the "Will Call" ticket window and was handed an envelope with our ticket to the movie and admission to the Science Center for after the movie. We waited in line at the doors for probably a half an hour before the dome was opened for seating. They had another video event of some sort before our showing. The trip to the Science Center/IMAX Dome Theater was a totally new adventure. We hadn't been to that part of Downtown in the last few years to witness the Urban improvements that have been put into place.It is like the Field of Dreams..."Build it and they will come." ;)

34th Wedding Anniversary

Hubby and I are celebrating our 34th Wedding Anniversary today. This week I had a chance to go back to the corner of Iowa where I spent most of my childhood and teenage years. I got off I-80 onto Iowa Highway 71 south,following it to Atlantic and beyond. Traveling a mile past Lyman, we, my mother and I, arrived at the road that used to take us to the place we called home. It had rained not long before we stopped to visit graves of family members that lay at rest in the cemetery of the church we had attended. I didn't want to take the gravel road to get the car muddy driving by the acreage, because we still had more miles to go to get to our intended destination. If you were to follow the road in the picture west to the first stop sign and take a left going a 1/4 mile south we were the first house on the right. Sounds like a lot of directions.You can see part of the place on the edge of the photo to the left. It has been 34 years since my mother, or I have had any claim to the property built by my paternal Grandmother's parents. Time changes things and your memories or pictures are all that remains of what used to be... I diverged from the topic a bit.Now, I would like to go back and share a picture of my childhood church, where Hubby and I had the good fortune to take the step to become man and wife, way back when...34 years ago. ;) Have a great day everybody!

Berry Pickin' Experience

Today I was out gathering gooseberries to stock some freezers for the long, cold winter ahead. At least the fruit of summer can bring a glimmer of hope when it is to bless-ed cold outside that you would rather be sitting by the fireplace. I am searching for the "Right" size to pick. Silly me...then I finally decide that to hurry the process along any size will do to fill a pie. As I stood on a deer run below the rim of a hill a white-tailed doe came into view. I surprised her, scared the "Snort" out of her you could say. She stood trying to get my attention for a few minutes, but when I didn't move she took off in the other direction. Continuing to work my way up the slope I had another encounter...A young fawn sprung up from hiding and bolted away. I had revealed the hiding spot of a newer member of the Timber Life deer family, the second encounter in five days. My presence on the block just wasn't appreciated... There was a flashback to the second deer shotgun season last winter. I was snuggled inside the limbs of a fallen tree. Every now and then I would stand up to see if I could get a visual on any mature deer in close proximity and get the blood flowing in my legs. The older ones stayed across the ravine to the south, there was activity to the east of my location, a young deer that seemed to always be in that very spot. The funny thing was every time I stood up it would in turn stand up and move ever so slightly further to the east. I know that it isn't good to speak but I had to reassure the little critter I wasn't going to be after it that year.... Do you think it could become a generational birthing nursery??? ;)

I am not sure if this is the fawn I have been seeing...The doe was initiating it into jumping fences around my deer food sample plots early today. This isn't where I saw the baby yesterday but wanted to share anyway. ;)

The Eureka Lightening Bug Sleeping Bag

Jody over at The Hunter's Wife had a Eureka Tent Co.sponsored children's sleeping bag give-a-way from June 10th - June 16th. The drawing was today...to my pleased surprise Jody notified me by e-mail that my entry had been chosen by Random.org. I have two granddaughters that I would like to see use it when they take their turns and come to visit Grandma and Papa. A camp out in the living room or under the kitchen table that gets turned into a Fort now and then is in order....

The Girl's Lightening Bug Sleeping Bag Thank you Jody for having a drawing and many thanks to the sponsor the Eureka Tent Company.