Enjoying Our Time in Louisiana

First, I need to apologize for my last blog entry because I did not explain what a pin box is. So for our friends that wanted to know where the wren had built her nest. I decided to add a picture of our trailer's pin box.

Inside of that black thing is where the wren built her nest

Gina is continuing to work in her garden while I have been building a rack to carry our four wheeler on the back of our trailer. We do take breaks and admire the beautiful flowers as they bloom and watching the rabbits and squirrels play.

A beautiful 'Yellow King Humbert' canna flower


One of the many Tawny Daylilies blooming


A miniture Azalea bush in full bloom


This fellow was quite entertaining


One of many rabbits eating in our yard

On Friday we decided to stay inside since the weather wasn’t cooperating with us to work outside. The weatherman said we received approximately 6.2 inches of rain. It was a lot of rain. Saturday found us waking up early and getting outside. First to enjoy our coffee and Gina wanted to get started in her garden before it started raining.

Gina playing with her special rocks

While she got started in her garden I hooked up the trailer to the truck and moved it so my dad and I could mount the frame on the trailer and he could finish up the welding. Even though it rained on and off all day we continued to work. We added two additional receivers to the back of the trailer. This will allow the new rack to have three points to connect to for more strength and stability.

Dad tack welding the pieces together before we mount the rack


Dad finishing the welding while the rack is in place


The two additional receivers in place

We woke up Sunday morning to beautiful weather. At least it was nice weather for Louisiana in June. That means waking up to hot (83 degrees), humid (91 % humidity), clear skies, and the sun shining bright. I decided to have a relaxing day sitting inside while Gina worked in her garden in the afternoon. I did occasionally go outside and see Gina’s progress. Around six o’clock Shane and Nicole came over for dinner that consisted of steak and baked potato. For dessert Nicole made a pan of brownies that we enjoyed with vanilla ice cream. Dinner was great and we enjoyed visiting with them. After they left Parker came over around nine o'clock to let me play with his dad's new IPad since he's on vacation in Palm Springs, California. He also installed the new ILife software on Gina's Macbook. I can hardly wait for my IPad to arrive. Overall we had a wonderful weekend visiting with family and we were able to get a lot accomplished. We are both ready to get out this heat and move on up to South Dakota where Mom and Pop's (aka: Mike and Pat) are reporting to us some cooler weather. I don’t know how we have endured it this Louisiana heat for so long. It reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw in Arizona. "If you can't handle the summer you don't deserve the winters"

This is my favorite place in Gina's garden

I feel so at peace watching the fish in the pond. In the background is an angel with her finger over her mouth to be quiet. Hearing the water flowing through the stream and into the pond is so relaxing and peaceful.


Gina & I hope everyone has a pleasant and wonderful day, enjoying what our Father has so graciously blessed us with.

Gina's Special Rocks are Unloaded

Gina and I have continued working in our garden. Between getting all the leaves picked up, pruning all of the plants, pulling up weeds, and cleaning out the pond has kept both of us busy. We finally reached a point on Tuesday that we were able to unload all of Gina’s special rocks that we (she) had brought back. We both commented to each other that we didn’t realize there were so many special rocks. Gina said, "Now that the rocks are unloaded, I can have fun putting them in their special place". Gina calls these rocks special because as she was searching for them they all spoke to her in some way.

Those rocks cover an area of 16' x 8'. Trust me it's a lot


Gina's favorite special rock, to her it's an Eagle head


Gina up on the ladder training her Jasmine


She really is up there


She's thinning out some Iris's next to the stream

Ashley made it to Phuket, Thailand, which is where she’ll spend two weeks. Shane made it through his first day of therapy and is really doing great. Our nephew and his fiancé, Rickey and Lacey drove in from Mississippi for the weekend. They are getting married on June 26th in Natchez. Which happens to be one of two primary reasons for coming back to Louisiana this summer. Saturday night we went to my sister’s house to eat some boiled shrimp. They were delicious!!

That's Dana, me, Lacey, Rickey, Rickey Craig, and Josh a friend

Sunday we went to church and were greeted with a special treat. My sister was singing during the morning service. She is the associate minister of music and spends her time teaching music to children, which she's been doing for twenty-five years. Besides that she sings beautiful and I love to hear her but just do not get the chance to hear her enough.

Monday morning found us talking about Memorial Day and how if it wasn’t for all of the men and women who were willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice we wouldn’t be the Great nation we are today. We not only thank them but honor them for what they gave to Gina and I. It’s because of them that we are able to enjoy the life we live. We hope everyone enjoyed their Memorial Day. As you know Tuesday was spent unloading rocks. Wednesday found Gina trying to decide where she was going to put all of those rocks while I spent the day taking care of personal business.

The first thing was after watching the morning news and hearing that AT&T is dropping their unlimited data plans on the IPhone and IPad starting June 7th. Well, that was one of the reasons I ordered an IPad with 3G. After giving it some thought I called Apple and changed my order to get only the wi-fi version and I’ll continue to use my air card with my Cradlepoint wireless router. Next on my list was canceling my cell phone service with AT&T and transferring it to Verizon. After researching cell phone plans I decided Verizon's network was the way I wanted to go. I didn’t actually go with Verizon but I bought a Straightalk phone that uses Verizon’s network. We’ll see how it works. The reason for switching is no contract and 45 dollars a months for unlimited talk, text and browsing and good reviews. I guess it wasn’t a good day for AT&T in our house. It’s amazing that within five minutes of canceling my service with them that they sent me an offer for 300 dollars to come back. Gina and I both like fixed bills and not something that can fluctuate and Verizon’s 3g coverage is better than AT&T or Sprint. I say that because I have both a Sprint and Verizon air card, and had AT&T phones. The switch was easy and we were able to keep our same phone number.

Jimmy, my brother who works for Swan’s stopped by yesterday evening since I told him I wanted to buy some food from him. We bought some Cordon Blue and stuffed potatoes. Since it was already seven o’clock and neither of us felt like cooking and Nicole and Shane were coming over for dinner we decided to have what we just bought from Swan’s. The food was good and we’ll probably buy more.

I almost forgot. We have so many birds around here and they are all laying eggs and hatching right now. Most of them are either Cardinals, Blue Jays, or wrens. There is one Wren who was determined to build her nest in my pin box that no matter how often I pulled her leaves and twigs out she kept bringing them back. I finally gave up and decided to watch her and within three days she had built her nest and laid her eggs.

Not bad for three days of work

I only hope they’ll be gone in 22 days. We have five birdhouses and they are all full. We even found a nest on the ground under our deck. They are just everywhere.

This fellow is just leaving his nest


His first flight and hanging on to a tree


It was amazing to watch this fellow learning how to fly

We’re enjoying our time here at our house except for the heat. We would much rather be in some 60 or 70 degree temperatures like Mike and Pat keeps telling us about in Custer, South Dakota. He even told us that last Saturday morning he woke up to 37 degrees. Gina and I both think we could enjoy some of that. We will real soon. As our friends Jim & Ellie said the other day. It’s hard to write when your taking care of business and not adventuring out and seeing all this Great Country has to offer. We’ll be back traveling real soon.

Gina & I hope everyone has a pleasant and wonderful day, enjoying what our Father has so graciously blessed us with.

Happy Birthday Ashley

We have slowed down a little. However, Gina and I have been working all day everyday out in Gina’s garden. The biggest problem is that there is a large Oak tree in the middle and we did not pick up any leaves back during the winter. So to say that there were a lot of leaves is a huge understatement. We’re almost done and all the flower beds are looking great.

Shane, our son-in-law had surgery to replace his ACL on Thursday. He is recovery well and will start physical therapy on Tuesday. Thursday night found us going over to Phil and Wanda’s house, which are our other son-in-law’s parents.

Happy 26 Ashley


Me, Gina, Ashley and Parker


Phil, Parker, Wanda and Ashley


Parker, Ashley, Paige, Josh and their four children
(Cameron, Caleb, Colby, & Carson)


Even Paw Paw Lemoine stayed up late to celebrate with Ashley and to wish her well on her trip to Thailand

They had planned a small get together to celebrate Ashley’s birthday before she departs for Thailand Friday morning. We are very close to Phil and Wanda and their children. Friday morning Ashley and Parker stopped by to say bye as they were leaving for the airport in New Orleans. Ashley’s trip to Thailand is for two weeks while she completes some requirements for medical school. Around lunch we took Angel and Zoey to get groomed at Petsmart. After five months they were really needing their hair cut. Later in the afternoon Parker came by and picked me up so we could go to the Apple store. I have been looking at the new IPad and wanted to go play with one to see if they are as good as the reviews say that they are. Plus Parker has a friend that he graduated college with that does personalized training after they buy a new Mac. I was very impressed with all aspects of the IPad and believe it will do everything that Gina and I will want it to do. I would have bought one there at the store. However, they didn’t have any in the store so my options were either go on a waiting list or order it online. As soon as I got home Gina could see my excitement and disappointment. Her respond was quick, just get online and order one for my Father's Day present. She didn't need to tell me twice. Come on Father's Day. LOL On the way back home we stopped and picked up Angel and Zoey and they looked beautiful.

Our Beautiful Girls Zoey and Angel

This morning we heard from Parker to let us know that Ashley made it safely to Bangkok and was resting in a hotel room. She still has to catch one more flight tomorrow down to Phuket, which is where she will spend two weeks.

Mike and Pat called us Thursday night to let us know that they are parked on their lot in Custer, South Dakota and were getting all settled in. We are so glad they made it up there and can now relax a little. The past two months have been real hectic between buying a house, moving in and then the sudden lose of a son. They need a little relaxing and as Mike says "what better place to relax than in God's Country.


Gina & I hope everyone has a pleasant and wonderful day, enjoying what our Father has so graciously blessed us with.