Dad

You never want to see your Dad like this until he becomes bedridden, at which time you would give anything to see him like this again. Dad's world now consists of sleeping, taking a bite or two of food, and the less and less frequent trips to the living room chair. When Dad was in the hospital, it was certainly a reality check for me. Bathing, shaving, and even combing his hair were things I never thought he would need my help doing. Dad was always so independent and capable. He was the one you came to for help; he was never the one asking for help. That is not to say he was arrogant or prideful. Dad is still (and always has been) a God-fearing man. My Dad taught us by word and action to always give credit to God for even the most simple accomplishments of the day.

Strange how life takes us all back to where we started-- completely vulnerable and totally dependent upon the assistance of others. I know it must be hard for men like Dad to mentally surrender to the frailty of their bodies. At times Dad can be cantankerous, insisting that he doesn't need help and is tired of being told what to do. The body no longer obeying his commands or responding to his wishes. I can only imagine his frustration; although, I have already begun to experience such mutinies from my body. But it is our faith that sustains our family. We take comfort in knowing that Dad (by his own testimony and life) accepted the gift of salvation from Christ and as a result has a home awaiting him in heaven. We take comfort in knowing that by all indications the return of Christ is not far off and the end of our suffering in these sin-cursed bodies will be over (I Corinthians 15).

Roots

This would be Brody and Brayden's GREAT-GREAT- GRANDPARENTS

Grandpa and Grandma Rowland
Elbert and Dora (Mitten)

Grandpa and Grandma Bray

Roy and Gladys (Herrin)

These are my grandparents. My Grandpa Rowland I barely remember since he died when I was a preschooler. I remember him always being in the bed (he was prone to mini strokes and was partially paralyzed). That must have been tough for him given the stories mom use to tell me of how he practically lived in the woods hunting and collecting wild honey. He was a real outdoors man. My Grandpa Bray went next after we had moved back to Arkansas, I must have been in the 6th grade. I really never knew him either; except for the occasional visit we made back to Arkansas while Dad was in the Air Force I was never around him. I know he had a great farm and made a living at truck farming except for the few years he worked for the highway department. He was a great Sunday school teacher and could sing and play the piano.

But my grandmothers, I remember. Grandma Rowland lived with us from the time I started 7th grade. She, Gary, and I all shared the same room! She had Parkinson's disease and you had to listen carefully to understand her. Grandma Bray lived by herself until that fateful day she went into town with my great aunt Gertrude who hit a light pole in the supermarket parking lot. The impact shattered my grandmother's hip and after the surgery to replace her hip she died in the recovery room from a blood clot.

They were good people; honest and hardworking. They took pride in their work. Who is there today who can replace such a generation?

Miss you, dad

My father passed away 4 years ago today. I miss him alot. He will always be in my heart. Love you, dad

Some more Garden plants

Lanatana

Aster

Hydrangea

Isn't this Hydrangea beautiful. Sean and Tabitha got me this plant for Father's Day two years ago. I had to transplant it last fall, but it looks spectacular now. The flowers are starting to get a pink hue rather than staying pure white. Maybe the soil is a bit acidic.

A face only a mother could love.

The eastern box turtle, I presume. I am no herpetologist and don't aspire to be. But who can resist that face? This fellow was out in my yard as I was leaving for work one morning this past week. He made me think back to my first few years in graduate school. I was attempting to do some DNA work on box turtles. We would try to get the DNA from the turtle's blood. Now, imagine how hard it was for me to prevent the turtle from closing his shell before I drew his blood. Many times my needle would be "snapped" by the shell shutting. It was a real pain to say the least.

Pretty this Time of Year

There is one Mimosa or Silk tree (Albizia julibrissin) separating us from our neighbor to the North. There were several before they got chop-happy. I have NEVER UNDERSTOOD what was so infatuating about my backyard that every neighbor around me cut down all the trees, hedges, bushes, fences, etc. so they could have a total, unobstructed view into my back yard. What is it about privacy that is so offensive to these folks? Well, I got bad news for them. I might not can afford a fancy redoak privacy fence surrounding my entire backyard, but I can strategically plant plenty of trees, bushes, and shrubs around my backyard that can provide some semblance of privacy.

But back to this lovely member of the Pea family; yes this tree is a legume. This tree was introduced to the United States as an ornamental tree from Asia in 1745. Since then this tree had done very well, even escaping out into the wild. The USDA Forest Service has it listed as an invasive species. I remember Dad having some and I knew how hard it was to keep it from sprouting up all over the yard (it had really shallow roots). They were great for climbing and what I like to watch is their leaves shut up every evening and open up again in the morning. I would learn later that this is called nyctinastic movement.

Mutant Tomatoes

These tomato plants were staked using 3' high metal cages. The cages are no longer visible. The vines are spilling out in every direction and are so loaded down with tomatoes that individual branches are now breaking under the weight. There are literally hundreds of green tomatoes hanging from these 21 plants right now. I honestly don't know what we are going to do once they all start to get ripe at the same time. My cousin has a fruit stand on the highway; maybe she could sell some of them. My brother and I had no idea the plants would do so well. This soil is really good compared to the clay and rocky soil of the larger garden.

Tall Squash Short Corn

Small garden with tomatoes, peppers, and squash only. Healthy Squash
Short row of Corn

We actually have two plots (gardens): a very small plot with tomatoes, squash, and peppers and a large plot with corn, potatoes, peas, etc. There is less than 20 yds between the two plots, but the soil is very different as evidenced by the plant production. Just look at this row of corn. I have never seen such short corn and notice how inconsistent the height is for each stalk. Some of it is only waist-high and has already tasseled. Weird. Now look at the squash. The stuff looks like it has been blasted with radiation; it is taking over everything and I think we will have enough to feed the whole county! Do you need some?

Brayden's Black Berries Needed Picking

Brayden liked picking blackberries. He is a natural. Black ones, ripe; red ones, not ripe. This is easy! I just know he is going to be an outdoorsman/gardener because he could get fussy inside, but the minute I took him outside he became infatuated with everything. We watched hummingbirds for what had to be close to 30 minutes; they buzzed all around us and Brayden didn't know which bird to watch first. Then we moved on to the other bird feeders and checked out those birds. Next, we checked on all the flowers and finally to the blackberries.

Results of our labor

Brayden did a good job and picked a lot of big, juicy berries. He couldn't wait for granny to make them into a cobbler; he had to eat them straight off the vine. He must have eaten 10 or 12 (just kidding, Tabitha).

Of course, while we were in the backyard we had to check on the progress of Brayden's tree. It is a Redbud tree that will have nice pink/red flowers about the same time as the Bradford Pear trees (just out of the pic) will have their white flowers. We are hoping Brayden's tree will make a nice contrast to the Bradford Pears next spring.

Additional Redneck Innovations

Problem: Many hummingbird feeders are completely plastic. The clear globes allow the sugar water to heat up and create conditions that are near perfect for bacterial growth (yucky black rings). However, the narrow neck on these reservoir globes makes it very hard to reach inside to scrub and attempt to remove the bacterial growth. In addition, any use of a detergent to clean the inside of the globe seems to deter the hummingbirds from drinking from the newly cleaned feeder no matter how many times you rinse it out before refilling.

Solution: Disposable reservoirs. The 16oz. soft drink bottles work great; any brand bottle will do. . . Mountain Dew, Coke, Pepsi, Sunkist, etc. So once it is empty (usually long before bacterial growth can begin) just toss it out and replace with another bottle and brand of your choice. Note that the hummingbirds love this redneck feeder.

Solicitation of Prayers

My father has been in the hospital since Wednesday with renal failure, no doubt due to his advanced cancer. While the insertion of a stint has allowed the kidney (Dad only has one remaining) to empty, restoration of kidney function is now paramount to everything else. A suspicious cyst has been detected on this remaining kidney, but until kidney function is restored the necessary tests to make any determinations on the nature of this cyst are out of the question. In the mean time we wait and we pray for God's will to be done. It is a difficult time for all involved, particularly with my mother's health failing as well. We covet your prayers.

A Good Night's Sleep

YEAH! YEAH!
Troy and I both have bulging discs in our backs and have had trouble sleeping for so long we can't remember getting a really good night's sleep. Part of that just comes from getting older, but we have finally done all we can to help get a good night's rest which we both need. A new bed has been on our list for quite some time and we finally saved up enough to go out and get one. I am so excited about it. We got a King size Serta True Form or something like that. Anyway it is one that is firm and has an air flow system in it to keep me from getting too hot (hope, hope). We finished it off with the companion True Form pillows and a hypo-allergenic (for me again) comforter. It is a type of synthetic down comforter. I can't wait to try out my new bed. It is almost like the night before Christmas when you want to go to bed at noon so Santa will come sooner. God is so good to us.

Happy Birthday, Brody!

Yesterday, May 24, 2009, Brody turned 1 year old. We don't have an recent pictures of him yet and we were unable to attend his birthday party. He lives in New Hampshire and we miss them very much. So much of his life has past already it seems and we have missed it. It saddens us we are unable to participate in his growing up, but it helps to know Adam and his family are happy with their lives in New Hampshire. Happy Birthday Brody, we love you and miss you all very much.

Memorial Day

What is Memorial Day? For some in this country, it is the day that marks the beginning of the commercial days of summer; for others it is just another three day weekend to partake in holiday travel, picnics, water sports, a round of golf, or the beginning of the summer shopping season. But for the Civil War Confederate widows of May 1866, this day meant something a little more solemn. So moving was their tribute to their fallen husbands, fathers, and sons that a hymn was written by Nella Sweet in 1867 entitled, "Kneel where our Loved Ones are Sleeping" dedicated "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead." This observance (also known as "Decoration Day") soon spread until it was made official by General John A. Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, who ordered flowers to be placed on both the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers in Arlington Cemetery May 30, 1868. Despite the almost sacred origin of this day, we had a group so full of hate and ignorance (60 professors among them, William Ayers) that they petitioned President Obama to refuse to recognize the Confederate Soldiers Memorial in Arlington Cemetery, claiming to do so would, "imply that the humanity of Africans and African-Americans is of no significance" (see story today at MSNBC). This group complained that confederates and neo-confederates, through the monument, deny that slavery was the cause of war (which it was NOT) and that it upholds Confederates as heroes (which if fighting for one's own country makes you a hero than they were heroes). To his credit, Obama sent wreaths to the Confederate and African-American memorials. Why are there always those who want to rewrite our history? It really frightens me as to what the children of the next generation will be taught concerning the history of this nation if these revisionists are allowed to have their way.

It was not until WWI that Memorial Day became unified into a single day recognizing those who died in all wars. It was during this war that one of the most memoriable wartime poems was written by the Canadian Lt. Col. John McCrae:

In Flanders Field

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

In response to this poem, Moina Michaels wrote a poem of her own:

We cherish too, the Poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led,

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies.

She started the tradition of wearing a poppy on Memorial Day and sold poppies to friends and family using the money to benefit servicemen in need. So we all need to pause today and reflect, appreciate, and honor those who paid the ultimate price for this country whether we agreed with the reasons for the wars they fought in or not, these men and women did their duty and gave their lives for us. Let us not forget their sacrifice.

Red Sox in Arkansas?

Red Sox players catching the train out of Hot Springs, AR.

Red Sox (1912) in Hot Springs, AR

I received a magazine the other day that was mass mailed to all the residents of Garland, Hot Spring, and Clark counties. It was actually targeting "new" residents explaining where everything was located (e.g. hospitals, DMV, schools, attractions, etc.) as well as giving a brief history of the area. Well, I thought I knew all there was to know about this area, but to my surprise the magazine listed various major league baseball teams that use to have their spring training camps in Hot Springs, so team members could bath in the hot mineral baths after a long day of practice. I bet my son-in-law wishes one certain team still did come to Hot Springs! The magazine stated that the Red Sox had their spring training camp in Hot Springs from 1912-1918 & 1920-1923.

Berries

The blackberries will be ripe within the next week. I love blackberry cobbler. I have two vines I planted a couple of years ago, but this is the first year they are really producing lots of berries. The white netting material I use to cover up the plants to keep the birds out.

Now that the rain has stopped and the strawberry plants are drying out, the berries are looking (and tasting) really good. I still need to transplant them next year to containers that will not have issues with flooding like we had this year.

The hydrangea that Tabitha and Sean got me last year that I transplanted to a more shaded spot this last fall is looking good as well. Of course, the real test will come in July and August. Hopefully, the leaves will not burn like they did last year

Crawdad Castles/Chimneys

Our backyard is a very wet area that is only dry for three months of the year (July, Aug, Sept). Mowing this area is extra challenging because of the crawdad castles or as they are better known in Arkansas, crawdad chimneys. They really dull the lawn mover blades. There are over 300 species of crawdads world wide. Like their relatives, the crabs, these are "edible crustacean," just ask our neighbors to the south, the Cajuns. I have tried eating them (they are served at area buffets), but I don't like the taste of crawdads (a.k.a. mudbugs), but then again I don't like lobster either. I had an old friend whose solution to the mowing issue was to drag an old mattress spring behind his riding mower through the yard to level all the chimneys before mowing. Why do they build chimneys anyway? Their tunnels may extend down into the earth 3 ft or more, sometimes being a single burrow going straight down, but more often being a main tunnel with a couple of side tunnels, each with a room at the end. They are normally full of water. They actually use their legs and mouth parts to dig up mud and make it into a little ball called a pellet. Each pellet is taken to the surface and put on the surface. The next pellet is set beside the first. This continues, much like a brick layer putting bricks on one layer, then making another layer, etc. until a building is totally bricked. The crawfish makes the chimney out of many, many pellets of mud. Take a close look the next time you see one and you will clearly see this neat system.

Snakes

Nest before snake

Snake

Nest after snake

When my next door neighbor held up a 5' black chicken snake she had just killed in our adjoining backyards, I feared the worst and I was right. The nest in my shed that was full of eggs is now empty. Well, that is how nature works. The same type of snake had gotten into my parents garage the day before. Dad took a swing at it with a hoe only to leave it mad and bleeding. It crawled up into their Impala and they haven't seen it since; of course, they left the car outside that night so I imagine it crawled off into the night. While these guys are not poisonous, they will make you hurt yourself. I can remember going out the backdoor one day only to look to my right which put me eye to eye with a chicken snake that had climbed up the brick wall. Needless to say, I fell backwards into the house trying to escape. As a kid collecting eggs (one of my daily chores), I can remember reaching in to a nest only to get a handful of snake! From that day on, I always looked before I reached into the chicken nests.