DE-Construction

The ONE WAY PAIR PROJECT is progressing in Vidalia. Making 1st Street (Highway 280) eastbound and South East Main Street westbound is something that was on the drawing boards for many years. It will not only improve traffic flow through Vidalia, but will make the streets smoother and easier to navigate. One of the major obstruction on 1st Street has always been the railroad overpass between Adams and Church streets. Its low clearance made many trucks with high loads slow down and creep under. And sometimes, when the loads were too high, eighteen wheelers would have to back up and go around - really causing traffic jams. No more. The overpass is now gone.

Above photo taking Friday, April 27

But the next Monday morning, the railroad overpass was no more.

Defination - Traffic: too many cars, not enough asphalt

What's this wet stuff falling from the sky?

The last time we had any rain was April 15.

Lord, Thank you for the rain!!!

Don't Count Your Ducklings Before They Hatch

She had gone pass her due date. We first saw her on the nest the last weekend of March. And we had no idea when she started sitting. But she was at least a week beyond the normal 28 days of incubation.

Sarah removed one of the eggs, with great protest from Mama Duck this morning. It was too light for its size. A whack on the ground revealed the nearly dehydrated contents. An infertile egg. On our return from our afternoon bird watching at the Beaver Pond, we found her off the nest for the first time in over a month. A quick evaulation of the size/weight ratio for the other half dozen eggs revealed the same disappointing results.

No ducklings from this one...

Bird Watching Fun

Click on the one of the birds below to get started. And then, put your mouse cursor over each of the birds to keep them flying and off of the power lines...

Fishing Update!!!

We went fishing again tonight!



3 more catfish - this time, two of them were filleting size!

Fishing in the Dark

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band had it right. -

The catfish down at the pond have been very elusive for a couple of years. In the past, all you had to do to catch a mess would be to toss out a line and reel it back in, with a two to five pounder wiggling on the hook. They have either gotten wiser or thinned out over the last few years, and now they are much harder to catch.

Saturday evening I was listening to Prairie Home Companion, since this week it was being broadcasted from Columbus, GA. (Wished I had the transcript of the trio of poets that were musing of all things Southern!) With about ten minutes (7:47) left in the show, Sarah had gone ahead on her evening walk and stopped at the feeding ring in the pond. I stuck my head out the door --- "Bring my spinning reel. CATFISH!!!" They were swimming around in circles waiting for an evening meal.

Sunlight was fading as I unearthed a few Red Wigglers and grabbed rods & reels. A nearly full moon was already above the pine trees. We played with the brim for a few moments and then threw to the bottom of the deeper water.

FISH ON!

For the next 30 or so minutes we took turns bringing another catfish to the banks. And then as suddenly as they started biting, they stopped.

Cleaned and dressed, seven 'just the right eating size' catfish are waiting to be joined with coleslaw and hushpuppies.

Spring is almost over and the summer's come
And the days are gettin' long
Waited all winter for the time to be right, just to take you along
Baby get ready.....

And it don't matter if we sit forever and the fish don't bite
Jump in the river and cool ourselves from the heat of the night
Baby get ready.....ooooooooooo.

-from Fishing in the Dark lyrics

Ugly Mail

I got an ugly envelope from the mail box this afternoon.

• Not a bill


• Not a notice of audit from the IRS


• Not another credit card offer

No, this was from a company offering me a membership if I choose to pay their 'dues'. The letter inside says that their records indicates that I am now fully eligible. And I would get some great benefits:

• Their Magazine, special bulletins and guides


• Discount on hotel/motel stays


• Their lobbyist are in Washington D.C. and all state capitols looking after my interest


• Special financial resources


• Health care benefits


• Educational programs


• Shopping discounts

Wait a minute, how do THEY know about ME?

And why are they so ashamed of their full name that they only use initials???

Down Graded Airshow (and Cookout)

Last year - it was Steaks and Blue Angels

This year - Hot Dogs and Hambugers and NO Blue Angels

But it was still good and fun!

Runny Babbit

Sarah was cutting grass Thursday afternoon... I get a call on my cell phone, "Uh, what do you feed a baby rabbit?"

He (it was a boy) ran out of the pine straw around the trio Crape Myrtles. He scurried about five feet and stop. Sarah got the catfish net from the storage building. But she didn't really need it, he was still sitting in the same spot. Max(imum Speed) was put in the small cage that contained Mason and Morgan, when they came to live with us.




We took several photos and placed him on the ground beside the crape myrtles. He ran over to the old plough that we hope will some day be covered with a Trumpet Vine.


From here, he realized that his freedom was regained. "He ran real fast" toward the cedar trees. Yesterday, Mama Rabbit was seen hopping around nearby.

Look at us, we're walking

I have mentioned the song in the Remember When Post and the blog about Metro's first steps after his accident . And I got to thinking... Do I remember all the lyrics? A Google search confirmed my fears --- I got most of them.

Look at us, we're walking,
Look at us, we're talking,
We who never walked or talked before.

Look at us, we're laughing,
We're happy and we're laughing,
Thank you from our hearts forevermore.

But there are so many other children
Who only speak with a silent prayer
For those of us who haven't been so lucky
We hope and pray you will always care.

And someday they'll be walking
Someday they'll be talking.
Imagine walking to the candy store!

But the fight has just begun
Get behind us everyone
The hope will make our dreams come true-
Thanks to you, thanks to you.

< s h u t t e r >

Moooooo and Baaaaaaaa BnB

After picking the strawberries, it was a short ride to the next destination.

White House Farm Bed and Breakfast

The lawn was perfectly manicured. The large pecan trees were dressed with new leaves and shaded the yard with fragmented shadows. We were invited inside by the owners (Anna and Christian Yoders) and received a tour of the three rooms available that welcome guest with the names – Magnolia Room, Rose Room and Spring Banquet Room.

But it was the things outside that sparked our interest. Pheasants (Rainbow, Golden and Silver) Bantam and regular size chickens and Great Pyrenees mom and dad and their 5 week old pups. Sheep, peafowl and cat and kittens. Including a set of quads that were just opening their eyes for the first time.




Anna saw that we also had a love for animals and made sure we enjoy our time on their farm. “Would you like to hand feed the sheep?”


4 o’clock, whether it is AM or PM is a busy time on the farm. The 120 to 130 Holsteins will gather outside the milking parlor. Inverted showers give the ladies their twice a day rinsing. Twelve at a time they walk up the ramp to the line of four legged steel and rubber spiders. Fifteen minutes later, 30 pounds of milk per cow is delivered to the 1000 gallon stainless steel tank. (That’s about 7 gallons per cow daily).




One of the ladies is a recent transfer from Pennsylvania. She was apparently spoiled as a calf and still craves human interaction. We were invited to give her a hug!!!

Strawberry Fields Forever...

Nope, not the Lennon/McCartney collaboration...

Rather, one of the sweetest, ready to eat fruits around. I remember picking strawberries as a youngin'. Let's see - one in pail, one in mouth, two in pail, three in mouth.


Blackberries were done the same way, except you had to worry about the chiggers crawling on your legs.

After lunch on Tuesday, we drove over to Kauffman Farm Market.

Fields of plastic covered rows with straw covering have become the accepted practice of planting for many crops. And for sure it was in use here. But another method was also employed... A unique planting technique eliminated the stooping over to pick the berries from ankle height. Pyramids of 4 pots were stacked, largest of about 10 inches at the bottom to 4 inches on top. With the irrigation pipes acting as the trunks, it made for rows of strawberry trees. The results were an easier harvest and virtually grass/weed free crop. The ruby jewels glistened against the towered emerald backdrop. Each one with the promise of juicy goodness.

A pair of puppies slept and played in the greenhouse.

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream! How and the world did we have room for a cup so shortly after the lunch we had enjoyed. But we did!

Can you guess what this is???

You may have passed many as you drove through the country side. But most likely you've never seen one from the inside... I hadn't. My engineering mind went crazy with possibilities!

From the Halls of Montezuma...

The journey began at 9:30 this morning. 19 folks loaded into the church bus. We traveled the sixty seven miles that took a little under two hours (with the 'necessary' stops). But we travel back in time... to a simpler time and life.

Montezuma, Georgia was our destination. Just outside Montezuma is a large community of Beachy Amish Mennonites. The roots of these Mennonites go back to the Old Order Amish of Somerset County, Pennsylvania and they share many of the same beliefs. They wear plain clothes and the women wear head coverings. Unlike the Amish, they have church buildings, drive automobiles and use electricity. But they do not watch television or participate in other forms of modern entertainment..

We were a few minutes early for the 11:30 opening time for the Yoder's Deitsch Haus Restaurant and Bakery. So we made the loop around the area viewing the various farms in the community and the options for the afternoon of sights and shopping. More on those later.

The food is served cafeteria style. But the selections are nothing like the ones 'the Lunch Lady' of your school days flopped on your tray.

First of all, right after the salad bar, was the deserts. "Life's short... Eat Desert First!" Pecan Pie, Buttermilk Chess Pie, Coconut Pie, Lemon Custard, Strawberry Pie, Chocolate Pie. Mmmmmm, PIE!!!

Meatloaf, Shredded Roast Beef, Skillet Fried Chicken, Pineapple Glazed Ham, Fish Fillets, Meat Balls in a yummy looking sauce.

Rice and Gravy, perfect Mash Taters, Mac and Cheese, Turnip Greens, Creamed Corn, Fried Apples, Fried Okra, Broccoli & Cheese Casserole, Yeast Rolls and Corn Muffins.

The food was excellent, the atmosphere was just right for a relaxing meal, the waitstaff was courteous and attentive.

The sign out front


Our Waitress

After the meal, we visited the gift shop and investaged the 'Tea Rooms' and Gazebos.

The old tractors brought back some great memories... I remember driving a Model A John Deere on my uncles' farm so many years ago --- that one seemed much larger or was I much smaller?!?

Onion Festival Emptyness

From Yahoo News:

The Navy Blue Angels were back home Monday to regroup and mourn the loss of one of their pilots, killed in a crash while performing in one of his first air shows with the team.

Witnesses said the plane clipped a stand of pine trees before it went down in a South Carolina neighborhood Saturday. Investigators were still examining the wreckage, and the Navy said it could be three weeks or more before it announces what caused of the crash.

At the Pensacola Naval Air Station, Lt. Cmdr. Kevin J. Davis's parking space was turned into a makeshift memorial with flowers and posters remembering the 32-year-old pilot.

One poster read: "We will always remember No. 6." A small note said: "God bless your soul. Fly high Blue Angel."

Davis was from Pittsfield, Mass., and was in his second year with the Blue Angels, the team known for its high-speed, aerobatic demonstrations, said Lt. Cmdr. Garrett Kasper.

The rest of his squadron decided not to participate in a weekend airshow in Vidalia, Ga., and returned home to tearful reunion with family members late Sunday, Kasper said.

VIDALIA ONION FESTIVAL AIR SHOWPRESS RELEASE

APRIL 23, 2007 VIDALIA – The Vidalia Onion Festival Air Show expresses their utmost condolences to the family of Lieutenant Commander Kevin Davis of the United States Blue Angels, who died in a tragic accident at the Marine Corp Air Station Air Show in Beaufort, South Carolina.

While the Blue Angels will not be able to perform in Vidalia, Georgia this weekend, the Vidalia Onion Festival Air Show remains on schedule and dedicates their show in his memory. There will be some of the nation’s best aerial acts including Team Aeroshell, the Air Force A-10 Jet Demonstration Team, a B-2 Bomber and F-117 Stealth flyover, the World Extreme Motocross Stunt Team, the U.S. Air Force Reserve Jet Car and many other exceptional performers.

At the moment I am less than 1/4 mile from the runway at the Vidalia Airport. Onion Festival Officials are making attempts to fill the void. They will not be able. There will be an emptyness feel this weekend by all that attend. It's enough to make even Yumion shed a tear.

Lieutenant Commander Kevin Davis

Lieutenant Commander Kevin Davis (call sign “Kojak”)
Photo and Bio - Blue Angel: Official Website

Lieutenant Commander Kevin Davis is a native of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and graduated from Reading Memorial High School in 1992 where he played football and was active with the Civil Air Patrol. He attended Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Science with honors in 1996.

Kevin reported to Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida, for Officer Candidate School and aviation indoctrination in September 1996. He completed primary flight training at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, and transferred to NAS Meridian, Mississippi, for intermediate and advanced flight training. While there, he flew the T-2C Buckeye and TA-4J Skyhawk, and received his wings of gold in June 1999.

Kevin reported to Fighter Squadron 101 (VF-101) at NAS Oceana, Virginia, for training in the F-14 Tomcat and was the “Top Stick” in his class. In July 2000 he reported to the VF-11 “Red Rippers” where he completed deployments aboard the aircraft carriers USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) and USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67). While with the “Red Rippers,” Kevin served as the airframes/corrosion branch officer, air-to-ground training officer and head landing signals officer. His deployments included extended operations in the North Arabian Sea and Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. In July 2003, Kevin transitioned to the F/A-18 Hornet through Strike Fighter Squadron 125 (VFA-125) at NAS Lemoore, California, and then reported to the Fighter Composite Squadron (VFC-12) “Omars,” stationed at NAS Oceana, Virginia. While at VFC-12, Kevin served as a Navy adversary pilot providing valuable air-to-air training for fleet squadrons. In December of 2004, Kevin graduated from the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) as an adversary pilot. During his tour at VFC-12, Kevin worked as the schedules officer, legal officer, FRS/SFARP officer and assistant operations officer.

Kevin joined the Blue Angels in September 2005. He has accumulated more than 2,500 flight hours and 200 carrier arrested landings. His decorations include the Air Medal, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and various personal and unit awards.

At Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, the site of Saturday's crash, a somber crowd watched Sunday as six jets flew overhead in formation. Smoke streamed behind one of the jets as it peeled away from the others to complete the "missing man formation," the traditional salute for a lost military aviator.

"The spirit of the pilot is in the arms of a loving God," said Rob Reider, a minister who was the announcer for the air show.

I pray that God will bless and comfort his family and his fellow Blue Angels and the support team.

And God bless the U.S.A.

Update:

The crash took place in the final minutes of the air show, said Lt. Cmdr. Anthony Walley, a Blue Angel pilot. He said the name of the pilot would not be released until relatives were notified of the death.

“Our squadron and the entire U.S. Navy are grieving the loss of a great American, a great Naval officer and a great friend,” Walley said.

A Navy statement said the pilot had been on the team for two years — and it was his first as a demonstration pilot. The accident was under investigation, the statement said.

Blue Angels - Vidalia Onion Festival - Now in Question???

The 30th Vidalia Onion Festival is this coming week. The Airshow has always been a huge draw. Last year, we had a steak cookout at work on Friday, while the airshow participants when through the practice program. The Blue Angels put on a fine show. Enough to make the heart of any American skip a beat.

The Blue Angels are scheduled to come to south Georgia again. While watching the NASCAR race from Phoenix this evening, I was looking for the Blue Angel website. A news website popped up:

BY BRUCE SMITH
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Saturday, April 21st 2007, 7:34 PM

BEAUFORT, S.C. - A Navy Blue Angel jet crashed during an air show Saturday, plunging into a neighborhood of small homes and trailers and killing the pilot, the county coroner said.

Witnesses said the planes were flying in formation during the show at the Marine Corps Air Station and one dropped below the trees and crashed, sending up clouds of smoke. At least one home was on fire.

Raymond Voegeli, a plumber, was backing out of a driveway when the plane ripped through a grove of pine trees, dousing his truck in flames and debris. He said wreckage hit "plenty of houses and mobile homes."

"It was just a big fireball coming at me," said Voegeli, 37. "It was just taking pine trees and just clipping them."

County Coroner Curt Copeland said the pilot was killed, but did not release an identification. Copeland said there was a lot of debris at the crash site and described the scene as horrific.

John Sauls, who lives near the crash site, said the planes were banking back and forth before one disappeared, and a plume of smoke shot up.

"It's one of those surreal moments when you go, 'No, I didn't just see what I saw,"' Sauls said.

At the Blue Angels command headquarters at Pensacola Naval Air Station the petty officer on duty said he "had no comment at this time."

The phone rang unanswered at the Marine base.

More than 100,000 were expected to attend the air show and the Blue Angels were the main attraction. The elite aerial-demonstration team, which is based at Pensacola Naval Air Station, recently celebrated its 60th anniversary.

Beaufort is about 35 miles northwest of Hilton Head Island.

I read on another news site that it was the Number 6 Aircraft that crashed.

Navy Blue Angel Number 6 minutes before it crashed during an air show in South Carolina.

Smoke rises after the F-18 fell to the earth.

Missing Man Formation by the Blue Angels*

*Official U.S. Navy Photo

Today, we are all Hokies...

From an email I received today!

Can you find your school?

(Click on the Image to Enlarge)

South Georgia Fires

In my April 15th post, I told you about the dry conditions and fire warnings for the region. One of the driest areas is around the Okefenokee Swamp. The Okefenokee is the largest peat-based "blackwater" swamp in North America. The name comes from the Mikasuki word meaning "trembling earth" - referring to the spongy peat bogs.

For a week now, firefighters have been battling two wildfires. More than 1000 people have been forced from their homes and 14 houses have been destroyed. The fire has spread over 45 miles of tinder-dry pine and cypress forest. The fires are now on the edge of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

The larger of the two fires started Monday when a tree fell on a power line. But it has edged toward the wet prairie area and has slowed down and is 30% contained. Higher humidity and decreasing winds have also aided firefighters. But officials worried about stronger wind over the weekend spreading any flames. The cause of the smaller fire was still unknown.

Fire danger map showing drought conditions

The winds this week have been from the west and the northwest. Had they been from the south, we would be smoked over - like we experienced during the Florida fires of 1998.

Southeast Georgia is extremely dry, with rainfall deficits of 6 to 8 inches for the year. We pray for rain and for the safety of the firefighters and the residents of the area.





Including this one:

Pogo the Possum by Walt Kelly

Brrrr-rrrummmp

Three summers ago, Brooke went fishing with Johnny (her Daddy/bio-grandfather) at Lake Sinclair. Besides catching fish and sun rays, Brooke also caught a little fellow. She brought him (or her) home with her and released him (or her) in the Kio pond. As a tapole, he (she) would swim about the pond. The first year the morphing into a frog was a very slow process. Rear legs were the first to appear, then the front legs. The next year, weight gain and tail loss. This year the vocal cords are being heard.

It has been very hard to get a photo of the bullfrog of the pond. Only by sneaking a shot through the window was I able to shoot the Rana catesbeiana. I think she is most likely a girl frog. I think her name is Rosie...

Rosie the Ribbeter

Areo Acrobat

Captured this fellow showing out, both in color and his aerodynamic abilities.

We have only seen three or four individuals this spring. And there may be some reason for that... The Easter Morning cold snap is discussed on the hummingbird.net:

From the email I've been receiving, it's obvious that lots of people are concerned about the April 2007 cold snap and its effects on the Ruby-throated migration. I don't have many specific answers about this unusual event, but I do have a few theories and opinions. The stage was set by an unusually warm early spring, with no significant cold fronts during the entire month of March. As a result, although the arrival of the first migrants on the Gulf coast was normal, some birds made extraordinary speed northward with no bad weather to slow them down. In my opinion, the spring hummingbird migration is constrained by the availability of active insects, not by the blooming of flowers, and there were plenty of bugs for the earliest birds to eat. Freezing temperatures are not a direct factor in hummingbird mortality; healthy Ruby-throated tolerate nights in the teens easily, but freezing weather limits insect activity. Hummers can do without nectar, but they need bugs at least every few days or their nutrition suffers (including their tolerance for cold).

By the first week of April, a few birds had made remarkable progress, particularly into the midwest, which saw unseasonable highs in the 80s. Everyone knew a cold front was long overdue, and it was a nasty one, bringing thunderstorms, hail, sleet, and snow. Hummingbirds do not migrate in flocks.

Each bird has its own internal clock and migration schedule, probably inherited; the migration starts with just a few individuals in early March, builds over several weeks, then tapers off until it's essentially over by June. The dates on the map reflect the earliest birds, not the vast bulk of the population. Since they are spread out both geopraphically and temporally, the species limits its vulnerability to catastrophic conditions, including bad weather. This is also why you may not see any hummingbirds for weeks after the map shows sightings in your area--if a hummer passed through a yard two houses away, you probably wouldn't
notice.

So, a very small percentage of the Ruby-throated population had the misfortune to be caught on the wrong side of the cold front. Will they survive?

There's little research or precedent to suggest answers, but I would expect most individuals to find enough shelter and food to manage, while some others will not. There's an advantage to being first to arrive--a chance to claim the best breeding territories--but there's always a risk of outrunning the food supply. If climate change is moving toward earlier springs, these risk-taking hummers will be in the forefront of an evolutionary shift to earlier migration schedules. But climate deals with averages, over long periods of time, while weather has immediate and dramatic effects. Climate affects populations; weather affects individuals.

What can you do to help? Don't wait to hang your feeders until after you see hummingbirds. Let the map guide your timing. The standard 1:4 feeder syrup won't start to freeze unless nights drop below about 27 degrees Fahrenheit, and even a slushy feeder is better than none at all. You don't need to worry about insects or shelter, because hummers are adept at finding both on their own.

It's heartwrenching to think of hummingbirds dying from the cold, but remember only a small portion of the population is affected, and they're tougher and more resourceful than you might think. I'm more concerned about what's happened to the wildflowers on which the rest of the species will depend as they head north. The loss of flower resources might have a much harsher impact overall than the direct effects of cold weather on the leading edge of the migration. Remember that many hummingbirds never use feeders, so try to replace the freeze-damaged flowers in your garden as soon as you can.

Looks like we need to make a trip to Chas Mar!