Oct 27-Nov 4 Opening Weekend of Deer Season

On Wednesday I finally got the Ranger running just in time for the season, its using oil but that can wait till January. I went home to do a few things and had water well issues so it was Friday before I rolled back into Camp.  The weather was nice and cold with clear blue skies. By Friday night we had a full camp. We had a good opening weekend. We killed 6 deer and 2 hogs. We ate good and enjoyed the company.  Peyton and Holly had a blast playing around camp. Peyton also got to help track a deer that I shot. Maybe by next year both Holly and Peyton might be able to start shooting.  All in all we had a great weekend.

Starting to fill up at Camp

Jen is happy to get here

Peyton loves to dig

Holly and John

Becky

Yolanda,Susan Peyton

Kyle

Yolanda, John, Susan Eddie

Peyton wearing Colton"s police badge

Peyton,John,Jennifer,Holly ready to clean Jen"s doe

Oct 16-Oct 26 Ready for Deer Season And School Volleyball is Over

The cooler weather has been very nice. Everything at the deer lease is ready to go. Well except for the Ranger, it will  not start for some reason so I have been troubleshooting but no luck so far. I have a lot of deer pictures but they are 97% night time which doesn"t bode well for hunting.  Kevin did catch a hog in a trap, a nice sow about 125 lbs.  We also went to visit George and Delilah at Toledo Bend. We had a great time visiting.  We also made a few volleyball games. Ashley played her last Jr High game. They were undefeated in district.  Mackenna also finished her JV season and they were also undefeated in district.  Sammi is playing softball and has two more games.  We have a volleyball break until the last of December when club ball starts.

Caught a porker

Aubrey and Ashley

Ashley

Jr High District Champions

Mackenna

Mackenna

Sammi

Toledo Bend

Maggie and I are chilling

Sept 25-Oct 15 Its Been Busy

We got the house cleaned up and kinda back to normal .  The FEMA Flood adjuster came and did an inspection of the house. He took pictures of everything and explained things to us. We will get an advance payment first and later when the claim is approved we will get the final payment. You also have 2 years for any damage you find at a later date as long as you have pictures to show it. We are not going to get in a hurry, probably will not start till the first of the year, I mean it is fixing to be deer season. I have been splitting time between home and the lease trying to get all things done. Kevin has been at the deer lease working on things till he goes back to work. We also have been making volleyball games as much as possible. We finally got some cooler weather so it has been much nicer. John Callahan has moved in to Mack Creek for the season. He caught some pigs in his trap and has shot one pig so far. Kyle and Peyton came for a couple of days. My work is finished at the lease so I'm taking the tractor home and will start some clean up projects there. I have a few deer pictures but lots of hogs on camera. Last year we didn't have many hogs bit this year we are overrun with them.

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Sept 11-24 Tropical Storm Imelda

A lot has gone on in the last week or so. I spent a lot of time at the deer lease before the storm. Susan was down at Adams. I told her she should come in on Monday because we might start getting some rain on Tuesday. It turned out to be a good thing,  On Wednesday morning the disturbance went to a tropical depression and then a Tropical Storm. The winds were not a problem it was the rainfall amounts. We got quite a lot of rain Wednesday but did OK. Wednesday evening we got 6 inches in one hour.  When we went to bed we were still fine with no water in the yard. Around 1:30 am the rain started again and it just kept on and on.  When i got up at 5 the water was all around us and on the porch.  We got everything we could off the floors. Sometime at daylight we got another high rate of rainfall about 5 inches in one hour. This was enough to start getting water in the house. We got probably a 1/2 inch thruout.  We decided to see if we could get to town and stay with Mom till it was over. Nope, we were blocked from town as FM 770 was flooded and Fm 563 was also flooded.  I went to Hyltons and filled my truck up. There was a county constable there and I talked to him. He said everyone was basically unable to travel anywhere in Liberty County.  The rain had now stopped to just a fine mist. We went back home and waded back into the house. At this point the water had stopped coming in house.  We had electricity but no water or sewer.  Water was over the water well pump and septic tanks.  We started cleaning up floors and drying things out, We were very lucky as nothing else was damaged in the house,  I went ahead and took the carpet up in our bedroom and my study. I just opened the windows and cut strips I could handle and chucked them out the window. We put all our fans on and started drying floors. By late Thursday the water had receded around the house. I recorded 27.5 inches in a 24 hour period.  Friday morning we went to town and took a shower and I pick up a pressure switch for my water pump. Mike Kristi and the girls came over and they started taking up flooring and baseboards and setting up more fans and air blowers they brought.  My water well pump did start (it had been under water) but is was cycling too fast, i found the pressure tank was waterlogged. The air bladder was busted. I finally found one in my size in stock at Home Depot in Summerwood.  Late that evening when Adam got here we went and got it. Saturday morning Kevin, Adam and I finally got tank replaced and water system back on.  By Sunday morning we could finally flush toilets.  Life was good again.  We are very fortunate as all we lost was flooring and a little drywall in the house.  We are back to normal thanks to all the help. The adjuster is supposed to be here Tuesday.  My RV, Tractor and Ranger were at the deer lease so they survived. All my generators and pressure water were under water.   I'm flushing them out and drying them hoping for the best. My air compressor did work and My yard tractor was okay,  All in all we are in very good shape. just a few pictures to get an idea.

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Sept 3-11 Grandparents Day and Its Still Hot

It has been the hottest September we have had in awhile. At last I don't have to worry about mowing the grass every 5 days.  I have been going to the deer lease but don't get much done after 11:00. Kevin has been doing a lot of clearing brush and starting on his little cabin. Both Peyton and Luke had grandparents day at their schools so we went and had lunch with them. Also Ashley started school volleyball so we now have games on Tuesday,Thursday and Friday nights. Susan left yesterday for Adams and I'm heading back to the deer lease.

Aug 30-Sept 2 Labor Day Weekend

Friday night we went and watched Mackenna play volleyball. They beat Atascocita in two straight sets. Saturday was a pretty slow day as I got the yard mowed and watched college football games most of the day. Susan pretty much sewed all day as she has some projects she is trying to finish. Sunday , John/Jennifer and the kids came over for a little while, John is taking the tractor for a few days to move some dirt. I finished mowing a few places and just watched more college football. Monday, Kyle/Kristin and the boys came over. The boys played and Kyle put a new secondary clutch on my Ranger.  Kevin was here also and he ran his dirtbike and his racing atv for a few spins.  All in all we had a nice weekend.

Mackenna

Maggie and Max

Holly Susan John

Peyton Luke

New clutch

Peyton is helping Kyle

Luke

Kevin and Peyton chilling