Good Friends

Just a reminder, blue flame is good, but if it burns red......you're DEAD!

(Mark, I'm not real certain about green)

It is camping time again. I love a good campfire, good friends and looking forward to putting as many miles on that ol lime rock road as we can. One day I'm gonna trace a typical day-long ride out on an aerial photo of Jefferson and Taylor county and let you know what it looks like. We natural born put some tracks down on them dusty roads. I rode and walked these roads alot during the summer when Mom and Dad were here and we hardly saw a snake but let me tell you.... they are out right now!

Ground Rattler

Mark and Deb trying to not get mud on the jeep

Aucilla

We enjoyed having Merritt and Monica this weekend. Before Sarah was born Hannah would sit on Uncle Dale's lap and demand a hug from someone who doesn't normally display affection to anyone. She broke him in pretty good. We finally got the chance to have some one-on-one time with Hannah this weekend. Sarah decided she would ride with Uncle Merritt, Aunt Monica and Tripp. Hannah is so close to being a teenager, she has grown up so fast. Dale and I both loved having her to ourselves for a short while.

Hannah, Tripp and Sarah





Tripp, Hannah, Dale and Sarah

Camo is not just for hunters as we saw again today. We were chopping firewood and noticed this bug handing out on a limb. Hard to see straight on but when you turn it to the side, there he is.

Masters of Camo

Do you see me now?

Sarah and Tripp have alot of energy, they totally enjoyed themselves.

Sarah and Tripp

Sarah, Dale Tripp and Merritt

The scenery is so pretty, I never tire of the steep banks and the snake-like curves of the Aucilla. The river looks as dark as witches brew from a distance but just step alittle closer and it's clear, just tinted with alittle cypress stain. Each new stop has a name that stays in your memory, Davis Rapids, Flat Rock, Burn Out........the list goes on and on. You can't visit these places without feeling the presence of the ones who were here before us. Occasionally we find evidence of their existence, broken Indian pottery with designs and markings all their own. how awesome it is to touch something that we know was last touched by the brown hands of native americans hundreds or thousands of years before us.

******* BOO! *******

Fall blew in this weekend, halloween is just a few weeks away and "prankster" fever is in the air. We had been jeep riding in the woods around Goose all day on Saturday. Everybody was alittle slow from the night before and it was getting dark so we were headed back to the campers and looking forward to a hot camp fire. The wind was howling down Sinks road, the shadows were just beginning to drift thru the ancient oaks and palmetto. Ruby was enjoying a cold natural light and looking for deer along the road when...................................all HELL BROKE LOOSE!

Merritt said when he ran up to Ruby's window her knees went up on the dash, down on the floor, up on the dash, down on the floor, beer was splashing on the windshield, draining off the headliner and cuss words were spewing from her mouth. She had on a bright orange jacket and all we could see was an orange blur leave the passenger seat and nearly oust poor ol Duck out the driver window. The best part was that Deborah and Mark ran right by him and didn't see a thing. I'm kinda glad because Deb got scared later by the campfire and ran over me. I outweigh her by alot (don't get carried away) but that little thing hits like a freight train and I would not have wanted her to hurt Mark.

Ruby was a good sport and posed for a picture with Merritt, she still looked alittle pale.

God Loves All His Rednecks Just the Same

I recently downloaded a song called " God Loves All His Rednecks Just The Same". It describes our crew so well. I don't know any crowd that can have as much fun as we do. It requires such a bare minimum to hang, a six pack (uh, maybe a 24 pack or a liter of Lord) something with 4 (or 6) wheels and a good attitude. You can go anywhere you want, spend as much money as you want but I promise, you will always end up back here looking for us on some county dirt road. Colt Ford says it all with the Dirt Road Anthem and if the county ever wants to pave your dirt road, you say "HELL NO"!

Paul was headed out


This is all that survived the party last night, the hard core ten that could still hang after staying out till three AM this AM. (Just kidding)


Mark and his two ADORABLE grandkids, Cole and Connor.

Todd asked me to take a few photos of the sunrise over Wacissa last Saturday so I woke up around 6:30 and sat at the fire tower until around 7:25. It was not something I would normally do but it was beautiful and quiet and I enjoyed the scenery.

Looking down towards Dead Man's Curve. It was a full moon the night before so it was pretty bright at 6:50 AM even though the sun did not come up till almost 7:30am.

Looking towards Peter Brown Lane

Todd and Cheryl's pond.

The boat ramp at the head was still and smooth as glass.

Cypress reflection in the boat ramp. Not a canoe in sight! (HeHe)

Sat was a beautiful day on the river. This alligator turtle was just off the dock, check out those claws on his back foot. It is amazing that the water is so clear, this almost looks like it was taken underwater instead of off the boat.



Lazy Sat airboat gathering.



Macy, Sarah and Gracie


Deb was sneaking in some coloring time, funny thing is that she blends right in with the young 'uns.

Good Directions

We, the Plains, the Parkers, the Gerrells and the B. White crew explored a "new to me" area along the Aucilla last weekend. Duck gave me driving directions, here they are so you can find it if you dare. "Well, you leave Lamont like yer going to goose, keep going 'till you cross the ol' bridge then look for yer first good road to the left, then keep going, you will see a graveyard on yer right and then some logging on the right, it's the 2nd well traveled road on the left."
I was within 50 feet of my destination which was seriously hidden from view when I had a question about a tree in the road and which way in the fork did I turn. I called Ruby and she told me to take the 2nd right. (Huh? 2nd right? I'm at a fork) Whatever, I took a right and ended up miles down the road on a pigtrail that my truck would barely fit thru. Called Ruby back since Cody and Sarah were getting alittle worried. She said blow your horn, so I blew but her and Duck could not hear me so we were officially lost. Thank goodness I have tires that leave good tracks 'cause Cody had no idea where we were. Anyway, we made it to the right place but about that time the whole scenario started over with a phone call from Ben and Lydia, "Hey y'all, how did you say you get there?" Hey Ben, just follow the tracks! Sorry Ben, I forgot it was raining at that point, not good for tracking.

Duck says this is called the cement landing. Those markers are for the 1973 and 1984 floods. There has been a sign removed recently from the post and we all wondered if it was for the 2009 flood or if it has been marked yet?


Cody tried to scare Sarah but she just thought it was fun.



Sarah loves her big brother!




"Old Scars" Do you see the railroad spikes in this tree? Some had been completely covered by the tree thru the years with new growth.

What are my Mom and Dad doing?

I came down with a "condition" about a year ago that causes you to look only at the ground while walking in certain areas. Despite the possibility of seeing beautiful sights and majestic animals, I still continue to look downward at the dirt.

I spent Sunday afternoon with my parents and Sarah and I am pretty sure that they have both come down with the same affliction. Daddy spent most of the day in the position as seen in the above photo. It did not seem to matter that we were in rattlesnake country during July with no snake boots.




My mom is generally afraid of everything that moves, spiders and snakes are spawns of satan to be avoided at all costs but it appears that she is afflicted too and is thus oblivious to all her surroundings except the dirt just in front of her previously clean tennis shoes.

I certainly hope there is a cure for this affliction. I have several friends that are affected as well. I can only blame Debra for passing it to me.