A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That, and Lots of Pictures!

My autumn, leading into winter, has consisted of hunting, celebrating my son's 21st birthday, and just life in general.  I've thought of so many blog posts that I should write, but just don't make myself sit down and compose my thoughts well enough to put out in the cyber world. 


I've had a lot of negativity over the last month or 2, with a ridiculous family member that I won't name.  (don't worry Mom, it's no one in my household!)  I'm not going to waste any more energy on this person, and they have burned through their second chances with me.    So to this family member, if you happen upon my blog and read this (although since you've deleted and blocked me on Facebook I doubt you will) - I just have one thing to say - WTF EVER!


Steven celebrated his 21st birthday on November 21st.  I took the day off from work to spend some time with him during the day, take him to his first liquor store run, and get ready for the cookout.  Here are some photos:




                                  first liquor purchase at Cheers!

                                                   Kita was ready to party down!

 


               Got the birthday banner at the Dollar Tree again this year - and this time they spelled it         right!

                        Oreo Blizzard cake from DQ


                 



                                         Brian & Hope hiding Steven's eyes, they didn't want him to see the cake yet

                                  I love the look Brian is giving him, with his hands clasped like he's
                                          up to something sinister

                                           I think he's just realizing it's an ice cream cake

                                  the obligatory smile :-)

                    the moment he realized it was a DAIRY QUEEN Oreo Blizzard ice cream cake!
                      (yes he tried to pick it up and run off to his room with it!)

            the next morning - Steven's under the black blanket, Hope's on the couch, and James is in the recliner.  Oh and Dominion is on the love seat, watching over his birthday boy.

I think the "kids" had a good time at the party, and they were safe in our home.  I know we had a great time participating in this momentous birthday, and I hope that it was everything that Steven wanted.


Here are some pictures of our hunting escapades this season




                                          in the blind in Crawfordville

                                        beautiful sunshine from the blind

                                       in Dublin, GA

                                 never seen what a beaver can do to some trees?  well here ya go!

   kinda hard to see, but this is where the beaver were dragging their trees once cut

       watching the sun come up slowly through the pines in Dublin

 Jessie & I got out of the golf cart to go to the waterfront to see where the beavers were (we'd been joyriding on the golf cart while the menfolk were in town, and decided to explore the road less traveled)

Clydie takes such wonderful photographs. Look at my hat, all cockeyed on my head.  No, it doesn't have a thing to do with that being my 2nd Jack & Coke!

We had a blast in Dublin with Jessie and her friend, Bobby.  Went once without Clydie, and took her along the second time because the accommodations are very nice!


Poor Gabriel - I've had to put him on a diet because he's up to 77lbs.  He stays ravenously hungry because he was used to free feeding, but we've had to take up the food bowls for all 3 pups and feed them twice a day.  It doesn't affect Dominion so much because he gets a special meal for breakfast anyway, but poor Kita just doesn't know what to do with herself now that she doesn't have a food bowl to guard!  His daily intake has probably been cut in half or more (we worked him down to that, we didn't feel it was right to drastically cut him suddenly because we tried that and he was really becoming a pain at meal times and on the occasion he was allowed a treat, he'd try to take your hand with the treat).  He's still a chunk but we are seeing a very slight different in his outline from above. 


And Gabriel won't sleep inside the house at night anymore - he's been sleeping on the porch since it started cooling off, and I really didn't want him outside the last few nights because the morning lows are in the 20's.  I know he's a Siberian Husky, and those dogs are supposed to be able to handle the cold, but he's a fat, lazy house dog and I worry about his well being.  The first night we tried to keep him inside from the cold, he wanted to go out every 90 minutes, and you had to practically drag him back in the house, so I left him out.  Now before people freak out - the porch is a screened in porch so he's sheltered to an extent, the door to the yard is open so he has free access to potty, and we keep water available (which froze last night :-/ ).  There are some seat cushions on the floor which he's been laying on, and Clydie put a blanket out there for him which he sleeps on.  (and which he gives up to Kita when she's out there lol). 


photo of Gabriel with his blankie

Yes, Clydie covered him up with it, and he'll stay under it for about half an hour then he's had enough and will get on top of it. 


Is everyone ready for the fat man in the red suit to visit in a few weeks?  I have a few more things to get, then I'll be ready.  Thank you very much to Clydie for doing the majority of the decorating - I was down in my back pretty bad for a few days and managed to fluff the tree and put the lights on it, and that was the extent to my participation.  She put all the doo-dads out on the mantle and bookcase, she and Steven put the décor on the tree, and she put the garland on the handrails on the stairs.


This is the longest blog post I've written in a while that wasn't a copy and paste of something else, so I'm about worded out now.  If I don't blog again before Christmas, I hope that everyone has a very  Merry Christmas!