Shad Fishing

Went Shad fishing with Will on the James in Richmond today.  Only couple shad but Will also caught 9 white perch and Papa caught nothing.  Will try again Monday morning with Toby, Michael, and Will.  Sunday is the traditional Easter Treasure Hunt for all the grandchildren.





Pictures from Dance's Foal Shower

String Contest was fun for all!

Contest winer!!

Foal Shower

Edna is at a surprise "foal shower" Jill is having for Edna and Dance, but I don't think Dance is there. Foal is due this month, another bucket list item to cross off.

I spent time until dark working in the garden and finished my potatoes; the tomato plants that Reeder planted the first of March have blossoms.  He decided to take a chance with early tomato plants as we have had a mild winter and it might carry thru to our spring, looks like gamble is paying off. 

Dale and Will went fishing down at the river, stopped by to get some worms from the garden.  Think they were avoiding the "foal shower" at their house.

Huntington Beach in March

First camping trip with the new motorhome.  Drove all day Saturday in heavy rain.  So far both trips started in this motorhome have been in heavy rain.  Arrived in late morning after night at South of the Border. 

Stopped for some fish at our favorite fish market and Edna said I thought there were 10 of us in the moterhome.  I went a little overboard, with 5 pounds of shrimp, 100 clams and 2 pounds of fish fillets.  Beach was empty Sunday afternoon.  Saw a cannonball jellyfish on the beach, first time we had seen this type of jellyfish. 

While I did some photography, Edna and Baxter walked to North Beach and back.

Woody waiting for Edna & Baxter to come back from North Beach

On Monday we walked to the causeway and both got a couple of good pictures Edna of a Great Blue Heron and mine of a Great White Egret.  He did better at fishing than I did!

Tuesday was cold and windy.  We did spend some time in the marsh and did see a clapper rail come out of the marsh and get a drink.

Wednesday walked to North Beach, but no shells for Edna to find. Thursday we had great weather and walked the beach and biked around the far side of the fresh water pond, on our new our folding bikes.  We like these bikes and they are easy to store for travel. Also made and sent some postcards and had steak and clams for dinner.  Tomorrow we pack up and head for home.  Saw a man wearing a t-shirt I liked, In said "Home is where you are parked" and showed a motorhome on it.       



Museum night at BSH

Each student in the 3rd,4th,& 5th grades, select an individual from history and dress like them and have a 60 second talk they give when a "buzzer" in front of them is pushed at their location by an observer.  The 3rd grade use a frame and they are the picture as you can see in Michaels.   Elizabeth was Eleanor Roosevelt and Michael was Paul Revere.  It is called the "wax museum" as each student in the 4th and 5th grades are to be a "statue" until their buzzer is pushed and then they give their talk.

                                                                                                                 

  

It's on to the beach Saturday for a week and we are getting "bucket list" ready for the trip.  I would like to go every other week, but gas prices have a dampening effect on that goal.

National Junior Honor Society

We attended ceremonies at BSH this morning where Abby was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society.

We will be back to BSH tonight for the "wax museum" which Michael and Elizabeth will be in.

80 degree day

Had some engraving to complete and then mail. After that, worked in garden and it was hot. I planted 100 onion sets, lettuce, radishes and Edna planted broccoli, and snap peas. I need to get a bed ready for the potatoes, beets and spinach.

Forecast is for a record on Thursday (84) and we are talking about maybe a cookout down by the river Sunday. Went with Elizabeth to look at chicks at Southern States and when we crossed the James, almost all of the islands were under water. Only straight run chicks, so we came home empty handed, will try next week, but really only need bantams for the garden as we have more eggs than we need.

Woody goes to PETCO Thursday for his summer clip. He needs it before we head for the beach the end of March.

A sign of spring

With this bloom, it must mean that spring has arrived.  Cold last night, had fires both up and down stairs and was nice and warm.  Fire tonight upstairs to take the chill off., may be getting to the end of fires, and that is good as we are running low on wood.

Went to Bass Pro today with Dale and Will for "Kids catch and release fishing".

Had no problem with the release, as they was no catch.  In 45 minutes with over 50 kids not one fish was seen, let alone be caught.  Next year they should bill as "drown a worn day".

New Home away from home

Edna enters our new home away from home for first time.  We have a new motor home, it is shorter than Escape To by 4 feet, however is a class A type.  Our shakedown trip was the Virginia Horse Center with our engraving booth for the Intermont 4 day show.  Next trip will be to the beach in SC for 5 days.

Elizabeth was one of the cheer leaders at the BSH basketball games for the school.  

                                                                                  

Weather is getting warmer and Reeder has already started planting our garden, and I need to get the potatoes in this next week with some lettuce and onions.



Virginia is for Gun Lovers

First snow of the season and it was 41 degrees

We just had our first snow; it lasted for one hour and was gone in about the same time.  Elizabeth and Edna had a snow ball fight, in this picture we had a very loud clap of thunder as I took the picture and you can see Edna’s reaction.  Cold tonight it will be in the teens.

Elizabeth did not have any outside cloths with her, so she worn Edna’s including boots.

Snow was heavy for the hour!

Edna, Reeder and Will played Yahizee the other day, Edna won!

Another nice February day

34 and dense fog this morning.  Appointment and the a few chores and work on field fence was in schedule for the day.    

On the way back to the house from the barn saw our resident flock of wild turkeys on the driveway.  Edna thinks she has also found the owl nest that our two barred owls have.  It is just inside the woods in front our house.  Have noticed a large decrease in squirrels on the driveway, may be just a coincidence, but maybe not.

We had i-pad training

We had our I Pad training at the apple store and I placed a video of Abby’s basketball of  game on Facvebook taken by Elizabeth when Edna and she went to the game this week.  Still have a lot of learning to do, and Edna say’s I hog the i-pad.  Cold and light rain, however managed with Reeder to get some more fence post in, need to finish the field by Sunday.

BSH had Grandparents Day and we were invited.  The lower grades presented a short skit on Alaska and we then had lunch with Elizabeth, Will and Michael. 

After lunch we visited the library where they were having a book fair and saw the self portraits each had done.

Will

Michael

                                                                         Elizabeth

Nice Sunday

Sunday was another mild day to work outside, while colder than yesterday it was still enjoyable.  On day like this I spend too much time in the woods enjoying the environment.  Today saw a pair of barred owls together in a tree.  When I went to take a picture one flew off and other stayed for a few monuments and then left.  Nice to see the pair, as we hear them but have not seen this season.

I spent some time in late afternoon at the river and this is a picture looking east about hour before sunset from the rive bank in our back yard.

Had to put away water hoses as it is going to get below freezing tonight and place a salt block in pasture.  While I was placing the salt block I snapped this picture of the field in late afternoon sun.

Why spend money buying your cat a bed, when a box lid works just fine.  Crackers sleeps in this lid every day, but only on this table.  When we moved it he would have nothing to do with it.

Looking forward to next week as forecast is for mild weather and can work getting the garden ready to plant.