Sanibel

just after sunset at Bowmans Beach, Sanibel Island, Florida

click to enlarge

Donna and I just returned from a week on Sanibel Island, Florida and had a great time enjoying the warm weather, flowers, shells, and birds.  She came home with a great collection of shells from the beach, and I came home with some nice photos of the wading birds and shorebirds there.  You can check out the photos by clicking here.   We're back to the cold and snow and gray skies of western Massachusetts, yikes!  Should have stayed longer...

Gym - Last Look - ?

Thanks (I think) to Jim "Sonny" Humphrey for this shot of the Gym taken yesterday, February 19.

Happy Valentine's Day

In memory of and tribute to those little boxed Valentines, - "Be My Valentine". I love any holiday that incorporates in any way the consumption of chocolate. And just think, - tomorrow it will all be half-price.

Bird in the hand

Two weeks ago I captured this image of a very hungry black-capped chickadee touching down to pick up a millet seed from a photographer friend's hand.   Chickadees, tufted titmice, and white-breasted nuthatches were besieging the seeds in our hands, after an unusually cold January in western Massachusetts with little natural food available.  These wild birds rarely feed from human hands, so it was a great and short-lived experience.  

Glenn Ray - surgery

Glenn Ray Jones is scheduled for surgery on his upper back this coming Monday, February 16.  He had been experiencing severe pain in his arm plus loss of feeling in his right fingers since just after Christmas.  The procedure will be at Rex Hospital (UNC) in Raleigh and he is expecting to be there for two nights.  In typical Glenn Ray fashion, he told me that over the past years the surgeons had pretty well covered the front part of his body (jaw, knees, heart, etc.) and now they were starting on his back.  The surgeon told him he could expect relief from pain within a few days after surgery.  His home phone is (919) 776-1083.   Thanks to Sonny Humphrey for alerting me to this.       

Berks Brown

Our classmate Berks Brown died Monday, February 9, 2009 while in Cancun, Mexico.  He was with his daughter Cathy, suffered a stroke, was taken to a local hospital and died shortly thereafter.   His son Mack is now in Cancun to help with arrangements. 

   Berks was with us at our class reunion in October, was recovering from knee surgery and retained his unique style of humor. In addition to Cathy and Mack, Berks is survived by his sister Ann Gordon Brown Kemp.   

Mrs. Sosh

I just learned that Emily Sosh died last night.   She and Mrs. Nell Beasley were our Fourth Grade teachers.  Emily Sosh was a good friend to all of us, including my family.  In recent years she had served as piano accompanist at the First Baptist Church in Russellville. She was 90 years old and is survived by Lon, Jean, and Ann.  Thanks to Andy Rector and to Morris Herndon for passing along this sad news.  

   The funeral will be on Wednesday February 11 at Youngs Funeral Home in Russellville.  One local florist is Oak 'N Ivy Florist, (270) 726-7629.  

Walking sticks

click pics to enlarge

I'm trying for the third time to get a message posted. I think I should have pushed "publish post," but I pushed save now and lost it. I'm determined. I'm hoping that a picture of my walking sticks gets through also. I told you that this is a new hobby for me. It takes a good bit of work, stripping, sanding, applying polyurathane, wrapping the handles with leather strips, etc., and I don't know how much longer I will be able to do this. As some of you know I have peripheral neuropathy which renders my hands and feet numb. Earl is afraid I will cut my fingers off. I haven't sold any Keith, just given them away to family members at Christmas. If you are ever down here, stop by, and I just might give you one.

Now a change in subject: I have some questions? 1. When did Walter change his name? 2. Do you remember the Evans familly who owned the News Democrat and the jewelry store. Whatever happened to them? 3. What about Brenda Wallace? Sharon Angles? I think of folks in Russellville ever now and then, but have been totally out of the loop and don't know of anyone's history.

Betty, I truly am sorry that your son is having to battle cancer. I do hope and pray that he responds to the treatment. Our son has MS and is constantly challenged.

I'm sure I'll think of many other questions if I can learn to post.

New News

For you non-Russellvillians: Jim Turner has started a new newspaper, Logan Independent Journal. Go to his Logan & Beyond site shown on our links, and click on LIJ on the home page. It is being distributed free in Logan County, but Jim will arrange to mail for the cost of postage. We have badly needed a new source of local news, and I surely wish Jim well with this endeavor.

Bird photographer

Hmmm, what's wrong with this picture?

Ground Hog Day

I want to wish everyone a Happy Ground Hog Day and announce that I saw my shadow. So gird your loins; winter isn't finished.

Ann P.