Floods, Flowers, and Fledglings

Mimosa (aka, silk tree)

Nooo, Nooo

6-5-17:  David and I headed down to Texarkana today.  We saw a mighty full Arkansas River at Keystone (near Tulsa) due to Hurricane Bill.  The Red River near Paris, TX was probably the fullest I've ever seen it and running wild.  However, it wasn't as full as last week when Laura traveled through.  At least we could get over the bridge.  The flip side of all the rain we've had in the Midwest and down south is the bumper crops of field hedge parslay, Queen Ann's Lace, Magnolia blossoms and Mimosas.

Arkansas River/Keystone near Tulsa

Red River overflow near Paris, TX

new sloughs

Lotta watta

daisy fleabanes (asters) everywhere!!

so pretty and dainty

Mimosa

don't think I've ever seen the Mimosas so loaded here

It always feels good to roll back into the Piney Woods.

David, Cranford, me, Kathey -- pretending that Corvette behind us is ours

6-7-15:  Had lunch with C and K after church today.  Then we posed by this pretty black corvette and pretended it was ours.

sweet Edith

6-9-15:  So good to be with Edith again.  She may not feel it, but we can see a big improvement in just a month's time. Thankfully, she's getting herself to the dining room a couple of times a day.

The Graves Gang....and us

the birthday boy

Cranford's 60th bday bash

6-11-15:  Cranford turns 60!  We were so excited to be invited to his family bday party.  Love this group!

unique sky on the way home -- and Jupiter and Venus

interesting to me

On the way home from his party, we say the coolest sky.

burridge green thread

6-16-15:  David and Gus played golf today at the Ranch.  After dropping David off at the course, I snapped some wildflower shots.  These pretty little flowers are filling up the roadsides!

Go Doyle Jackson!!

We were in KS when Antioch CC passed out these bracelets to support Doyle Jackson's battle with cancer.  So we caught up while here!

Bill and Pam's retirement lunch with us

6-17-15:  Bill and Pam both retired! They came into town today to have lunch with Laura and us.
So good to see them with that retirement "glow"!

gotta love this!

Laura and her Aunt Petunia

some serious retirement talk?

Uncle Bill and Laura Lee

Bill Boy, Lou Lou, me, and Pam

Hopefully, we'll all find more time to get together now!

Laura working out at the rv park

she wouldn't slow down for a selfie so I had to sprint

Lou Lou and I caught up on our workouts this evening. So happy to be getting in 6 miles per day!  I'm finally hanging in there with my young fitbit challengers!  Feeling good!

name that bug

cool rv parked near us at Shady Pines

Sometimes my walks go a little slowly when I see things that have to be photographed.

gonna try chocolate covered larvae

and crickets

6-17-15:  When Edith was in rehab she complained about the food there -- and rightfully so.  It was disgusting!  So I told her if she ever went back I'd bring her some crickets to eat!  That's been our running joke for a few months now.  Well, happily she hasn't gone back to rehab.  But I brought her some edible bugs from the Great Plains Nature Center to try.  And she did try them!  She's so cool.


David and I went to see Jurassic World this afternoon.  Not as good as the first one, but still worth seeing.

trying to amplify the sound

Fun night with Laura and Gus and getting analyzed with Myers-Briggs. LOL.  She's so off into that -- and it actually is interesting!  Especially, when we are all such case studies.

my LE peeps

the real us

the retiree with the most important man in the world

my new friend, Crystal Binning

6-18-15:  Lunch with my LE peeps today at Amigo Juan's.  Love these ladies.  And today we celebrated Marlyse's retirement!! So excited that she'll be joining "the club".  Well, sort of.  Her retirement is short-lived for now.  She's going to teach on the AR side in a few months.

Enjoyed meeting Crystal Binning -- my facebook friend -- for the first time.  She took the place of the other Crystal who took my place at LE.  Such a sweetie.

Gus and Sombrero Man

Gus and Laura

serial killer looks

that's more like it

Laura, Gus, Bailey, David, me

6-20-15:  One last lunch together before Laura Lee heads out. Sure have enjoyed being with both my babies!!

My pop, Gerald Goff

6-21-15:  Happy Father's Day!  Miss my pop every day!  What a great dad he was.

best step-up dad in the world

And so thankful God placed David in our life to be Laura, Gus, and Justin's dad!

Spring Lake Park walking trail

David and I got in nearly 4 miles at SLP this morning.  Still a nice place to walk.

after 9 holes

6-22-15:  Promised David I'd play golf with him once a week.  Hopefully, Gus will pull through for me so I don't have to.  haha.  But I did get in some fitbit steps.  We walked the front 9.  Too bad fitbit doesn't give a bonus for stop and goes.  Got a cart for the back 9 and I just rode along for those.  I'm kind of just a Niner.

Gotta drive the carts over a low water bridge on this hole.  Not sure how you'd get to the green if walking.

finally, number 18!

But I did enjoy the hawks, herons, egrets and other birds on the back 9.

sleepy daisy?  or spiny aster?

they look like little neon lights popping out in fields

6-23-15:  Got the above little flowers near Bringle Lake.  They are really popping out and dotting the fields.

6-25-15:  Took Edith to orthopedic doc for a follow up today.  She got an excellent report from him.  He said he doesn't even need to see her again.  That made her and us feel soooo good!!  I think it was like a shot in the arm for her spirits!

Jon Cannon, the guest of honor

getting registered

ok, I"m done

6-27-15:  David and Gus played in the Jon Cannon benefit tournament today at Golf Ranch.  Jon is a former student of David's.  The first time I met Jon I was having orthopedic surgery at Wadley and he was working there.  As I was in the holding room waiting on my turn, I got so nervous and was about to cry.  He'd seen David in the waiting room so he knew who I was from him. When he saw how nervous I was he literally crawled in the bed with me.  The nurses and I were laughing so much I forgot to be nervous.  For a few minutes.

Dan Johnson, Michael Rhodes, Gus, and David

the team to beat

Great to see Dan Johnson and Michael Rhodes this morning when I dropped my guys off.

 a few words about the cause

prayers for Jon

ready for the shotgun start

David, Michael, Dan, and Gus

Jon enjoying old friends

lunch, door prizes, and silent auction

Jon's classmates did an amazing job pulling this tournament together to help with his expenses as he battles cancer.  Prayers for him and his family!

 Dan Daniels calling, and Donna Curtis from CCC playing

seriousness

 Edith asked me to come over and play Bingo with her tonight.  It was fun and I won $3.  LOL.
I don't know how Edith and her peeps stay up so late!

Edith, me, and Bonnie

And while playing, I could watch the progress on Laura's international flight!  Flightaware.com rocks!

It shows a map of where the plane is as well.

Gus and me

6-29-15:  Had a nice breakfast with Gus and David at Cracker Barrel this morning.  Then decorated graves.

My parents' graves

my sister's grave

my grandparents' graves

Edith's first husband's grave, John Hughes

"Star of Bethlehem"

Tonight Venus and Jupiter were so close in proximity, that they were called the Star of Bethlehem.  This rare phenom is what likely happened when Jesus was born, thus the name Star of Bethlehem.  Breathtaking to see it and think about the last time it may have happened.

6-30-15:  Played golf this morning with David and Gus.  We rode this time, so I played 18.  Even riding I'm still just a Niner in my old age!

Tonight David and I played Panties with Cran and Kathey.   A couple of weeks ago the girls beat the guys by 14,000 pts!  Tonight we beat them by 17,000.  Dang we're awesome!

Church Ladies

7-1-15:  Last time we were home, Edith mentioned that our Emmaus reunion group, The Church Ladies, was one of the happiest times of her life.  So I decided this time some of us would get together with her!  Thankfully, she's feeling better and enjoyed the lunch visit with Alice Young and Kay Rhodes.  We missed you Lisa Siegel -- but thanks for visiting Edith and me last week!

Inside Out

Later this afternoon, David and I went to see Inside Out.  Fun movie and I'll admit I got a little weepy!

giant dragonfly on my walk today

deceased

the peaches are coming out at Shady Pines!

this cute Scissortail watched us carefully at Sonic

Bringle Lake bridge

7-2-15:  Gus bailed me out again and played golf with David at the Ranch.  After dropping the hubs off there, I did about 3 miles at Bringle Lake. Such a great, natural place to walk.

cattails

some going to seed

trying to identify this flower -- about the size of a golfball

the only pic online I could find, and they didn't know what it was either

Just love walking out there.  Today the bullfrogs were hollering! Cool sound.

got together with my college peeps for lunch:  Lisa, Janet, and Debbie

After my morning walk, I got to spend some time with my college peeps.  Oh the stories.  Just when we think we know everything about each other, there's always more. Love these girls.

7-5-15:  Happy Birthday to my big brother, Bill!  What a great way to celebrate: birthday AND retirement!!  You know how to have a good time!

Hubs and I finally tried the bbq spot on State Line Ave

they cook out of this bus, but there is seating inside a former fillin' station

David and I finally got around to trying Naaman's today.  Been meaning to do that the last few times we've been in T-town.  The meat was amazing!! The sides were fine, but not as good as Big Jake's in our opinion.  But we'd def go again for that meat.

Prayer and singing America the Beautiful

all 3 floors had an audience

my dancing partner is 93 years young!

and still cuttin' a rug

Went to say "cya later" to Edith this evening as we will be heading back to Doo Dah tomorrow.  They had one of their fave singers at Cowhorn to celebrate Independence Day and there was some dancing going on!  Including my own!

check out the wingspan of this eaglet

perched in the trees watching for their parents

The Pennsylvania eaglets are fledging now.  So the nest cam has been turned off.  Some mighty good photographers are capturing shots of them flying and perched in trees.  It's been great these last few months watching Nature at its grandest!  God's creation is awesome.  Soar High, Trinity and Sunrise!

Heading to Wichita in the morning.

Much Love to all our T-town peeps!


Bubba Watson, Ginger Rogers, and Rocky Boy