Southern Georgia Living

Angie's Hand Stamped Christmas Cards

2011-12-13T19:56:00.003-05:00

Another great idea from my sister Angie: Hand Stamped Christmas Cards:

Cute Bottle Cap Christmas Ornament Idea

2011-12-13T19:52:00.002-05:00

Look at this adorable Bottle Cap Christmas Ornament idea my sister Angie came up with. Visit her site where she gives step-by-step instructions on how to make it:

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T19:15:00.001-05:00

Bradley and Brooke Chapman on a Hilarious Go-Cart Ride

2011-11-24T19:11:00.001-05:00

Brookwood Homecoming Court 2011

2011-09-15T21:11:00.010-05:00

Stephen was elected the freshman representative to the Brookwood Homecoming Court. The following article appeared in our local newspaper:

Stephen escorted fellow freshman Julianne Dennis. The Homecoming Court was introduced at the Junior/Senior Powder Puff Game on Wednesday night and then again after the middle school football game tonight. It rained and there was lightning so the festivities were moved into the gym. Headmaster Mike Notaro did a great job as MC.

Enjoy the pictures:

FSU v. Charleston Southern

2011-09-11T21:53:00.002-05:00

I took Caroline, Stephen and Stephen's friend Daniel Fortner to the FSU v. Charleston Southern game on Saturday. Jacob went with Papa and they sat 60 rows in front of us on the 50 yard line. The game took place on the eve of 9/11. The band played America the Beautiful at halftime and as they did 60,000 sat quietly reflecting on the meaning of the date. Afterwards the band played the "Battle Hymn of the Republic." The halftime show was easily the best part of the game; and the game was fun to watch.

Here are a few pictures:

Tallahassee Florida Stake Girl's Camp 2011

2011-06-25T19:00:00.008-05:00

Tuesday, January 21st the Cairo Young Women and I headed off to BOOT CAMP! We stayed at the Woodmen of the the World's camp in Hosford, FL with the Florida stake. It was awesome. I went canoeing and swimming, hiked about five miles, and slept about 3 hours per night. I was the camp nurse and so I spent most of my time in the clinic bandaging people up and administering various medications. The girls made some great crafts and learned first aid and how to give CPR. They shot bows and arrows, and rifles. I believe the girls made lots of friends and had some experiences that will give them lots of cherished memories for years to come. They are already talking about next year's girl's camp. One even mentioned how she wished she could live there. Thank you to all the stake leaders who put so much effort into making this week so special for us. We love you all! Enjoy the pictures. You can click on any picture for an enlarged view.

We laughed. We cried. It was an emotional roller coaster. All this madness in only four days.

Click here for more pictures!

And Click here for even more pictures!!

More Pictures from Young Women's Camp 2011

2011-06-25T17:41:00.006-05:00

Click here to go back to the first page of pictures.

Or...Click here for EVEN MORE Pictures!!

And Even More Pictures From Young Women's Camp

2011-06-25T13:06:00.003-05:00

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Click here to go back to the second page of pictures.

Milner, Georgia Tornado Relief

2011-05-15T16:50:00.008-05:00

The Tallahassee Florida Stake was asked to send 50 workers to Milner, Georgia last weekend (May 13-15). Our job was to help clean up the mess made during the wave of tornadoes that ripped through the south two weeks earlier. I think around 64 people ended up going from our Stake.

Our crew (Jason, Tyler, Gabriel, Stephen, myself, Killian Jaynes and Brother Jaynes) spent most of the first day cleaning trees off a family's home, and out of their yard.When we first arrived at the home only the husband and his wife were out in the yard trying to pick up debris. When we asked them if they could use some help they both started to tear up. This is a picture of the husband.As we got out of the truck to start to work we looked up the street to see a wave of trucks and vans full of yellow shirted Mormons with wheel barrows, chain saws, axes and other yard clearing tools.Half a day later most of the debris had been either cut and hauled to the street or stacked for firewood. The family was very appreciative. We finished the first day clearing debris away from another home in the same area.On Sunday we had an early morning Sacrament Meeting. President Burton presided. Killian helped prepare the Sacrament and Stephen, Tyler and Gabe got to pass the Sacrament to the 60 or so people who attended. The Spirit was strong at the meeting. Thomas Smith and a fellow I don't know from another ward bore their testimonies.

After the short meeting, we went to work clearing what seemed to be a mile or so long fence line. With so many workers, we were able to finish our assignment earlier than expected and were able to leave for home before noon.

Just an observation: Don't tell me miracles don't happen. With all those people (chainsawers and haulers) working in such close proximity to one another it was a miracle nobody was cut or had a tree fall on them. I saw several instances where real harm could have occurred, but didn't.

Enjoy this slideshow of pictures:

An Exercise in Humiliation

2011-02-23T10:37:00.005-05:00

This is what I looked like just before my hernia surgery. I may not look much better than that now. I am convinced doctors dress you like this just for purposes of humiliation. Nice hat and dress Travis. Thanks for gingerly placing that washcloth on my forehead and for taking the pictures AIM!

For those of you who like Brian Regan's comedy..."Say EIGHT!"

Utah Trip: Yuba Lake

2010-08-03T20:18:00.011-05:00

Here are some pictures of our trip to Utah.

Monticello, Florida: Melon Run 5k 2010

2010-06-20T14:41:00.020-05:00

Stephen, Jacob and their cousin, Nick, ran in the Monticello, Florida Watermelon 5K Run on Saturday. The hills were steep, the weather was HOT and the boys were worn out after the race (well, Stephen and Nick anyway). All in all, this was one of Stephen's worst races and one of Jacob's better races. It was Nick's first race.

Stephen finished 2nd in his age group behind one of the Harrises from Bainbridge. He was sixteenth overall and his time was 20:40. But his finish is not what made it a bad race for him. Coming up the last hill his face was white as a sheet and it took him a long time to recover. He later told me he almost stopped running when he saw how steep the last hill was. He puked his guts up, but so did a number of the other top finishers. I attribute his difficulties to the heat and the fact that they haven't been running as often as they were several months ago.

When Jacob finished the race he looked like he could run another mile or so. I don't know if this means he isn't running the races as fast as he can or if he just gets into a groove and can sustain it for long periods of time. Jacob finished 113th out of 283 in a time of 28:24.

Nick beat 38 people in his first race. He finished with a time of 43:44. Not bad for a first timer. A haircut and a little more practice and he should move into the top half of the runners. I got some of the pictures below from Fred Deckard's Picasa page. There are a lot more pictures of the race on there. Check out the pictures:

A little pre-race warm-up

Can you see Jacob's head poking up over that Mustang?

That last hill almost did Stephen in.

Here comes the Jake up the hill.

Here comes Nick up the hill.
You can see Papa coming up the hill on the left.

Valdosta, Georgia: Memorial Day 5K Run

2010-05-31T15:10:00.048-05:00

Stephen and Jacob ran in the Valdosta, Georgia Memorial Day 5K Run today. Stephen finished 11th overall and 1st in his age group. Jacob finished 1st in his age group in the 5k, then 15 minutes after finishing the 5k he decided he wanted to run in the 1 mile run. Jacob finished 1st overall in the mile with a time of 7:15.

Stephen and Jacob had to compete in the 5k against a number of Valdosta State University's Cross Country runners. The top overall male and female winners were VSU runners. I thought they both did pretty well. Stephen threw up after the race and blamed it on the three sodas he had this weekend. He's probably right. Check out some of the pictures:

Let the race begin.

Stephen is in fourth. The Masked Avenger leads.

Here comes Jacob.

This is the eventual overall winner.
He is on the Cross Country Team at VSU.

Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth.

Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth and Ninth.

Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth.

The Overall Female Winner.
She is also on the VSU Cross Country Team.

Sup Jake.

Is it time for dinner yet?

Warming up for the Mile Run.
Jake thought he'd give it a try right after the 5K.

The kid in front opened up a large early lead.
You can see Jacob right behind the guy in the red shirt.

Jacob takes the lead coming down the home stretch.

Jacob widens the lead.

Jacob wins the mile in 7:15
The VSU CC teams looks on.

The Overall Male and Female 5K Winners

Stephen, Jacob and the Masked Avenger.

Top Male and Female 1 Mile Winners

The Awards were American Flag Pins.
Very appropriate for Memorial Day.

Jacob gets his Award for 1st place
in the 5K race 11 and under age group.

Jacob sporting both of his victory pins.

Stephen gets his 1st place award
in the 5k 12-14 age group.

Summer 2010

2010-05-19T12:10:00.000-05:00

Cairo, Georgia: Missionette 5K 2010

2010-05-15T11:24:00.010-05:00

Jacob ran in the 4th Annual Missionette 5K in Cairo, Georgia today. He finished 17th out of 56. The winner was Kyle Harris and Brian Corbin was second. Check out these pictures of the race:

Bainbridge, Georgia: Law Day Essay Winners

2010-05-14T09:35:00.002-05:00

Check out this article on the Law Day Essay Contest sponsored by the Bainbridge-Decatur County Georgia Bar Association. The article appears on the Bainbridgega.com website. The fat guy on the left in the top picture is me and the guy shaking hands with the students in the bottom picture is my law partner, Ryan Cleveland. A little shout out for Cleveland & Robbins, P.C.

Waxing Nostalgic

2010-05-08T15:15:00.021-05:00

After the Shriners race at Maclay Gardens we decided to take a little ride through our old stomping grounds in Killearn. We took the following pictures, then stopped at a pizza restaurant to eat. Before heading back to Cairo we drove by Bruce Weller's old house. I pointed it out to the kids and told them about him and about the day our family had to do his funeral. I miss him and Grandad. What kind of a man camps out for a year while building a house for his grandkids? Answer: A man with the last name of Robbins.

Does anyone recognize the numbers on that mailbox.
I don't remember whether this was the mailbox and post we had at the time we left Florida.

The new owners have painted the house Garnet and Gold.
A perfect choice of colors.

I think I recognize that creek.
In fact, the water looked just like that twenty years ago.

Does anyone see crawdads in this picture?

And this is still hanging right above where the pictures of the creek were taken.
I can remember several near paralizations taking place after jumping off the bank with that rope in my hands. Good thing it finally snapped.

That rope swing reminded me of the time someone was swinging on the front yard vine. During a particularly high swing I remember the vine snapping and someone landing flat on their back gasping for air. But I can't remember if that someone was me or someone else. I just remember thinking it was funny after the person started breathing again. I also remember a few shingle wars and being brained by the leg of trampoline we were rolling on its side. That had to have caused serious drain bamage. Also, catching on fire after the Model A engine backfired while I was dumping gasoline into the carburetor. Lots of fun!

This was my girlfriend's house when I was a senior.
Any guesses what her name was? Hint: She was FINE!

Tallahassee, Florida: Shriner's Mother's Day 5K

2010-05-08T14:30:00.035-05:00

Stephen and Jacob ran in the Marzuq Shriner's Mother's Day 5k this morning. The race was held at Maclay Gardens in Tallahassee, Florida. What a beautiful day to watch a race. Stephen finished 1st in his age group (10-14) and 4th overall. Jacob finished 4th in his age group (10-14) and 43rd overall. You can see all the race results here. Stephen is listed as Stephen P. Probably because of his lack of handwriting skills. It was fun to visit Maclay Gardens again. Check out the pictures.

Shriners are fun to watch. Sixty five and still riding a Go Kart.
Juvenile? I think not.

Pre-race sign ups. We almost missed it.

Here comes Papa to watch the boys run.

The race is about to begin.

This is how Stephen and Jacob warm up. They need to work on it.
Way to stretch out guys.

If you look closely you can see Stephen starting the timer on his watch.

The shirtless guy on the far right (Mickey Moore) won the whole thing.
He beat Stephen by just under a minute.

This is the end of the race. The two runners are second (Pierce McCain)
and third (Michael Kinnett).

Stephen finished fourth overall and first in his age group.

You can see Stephen's time on the clock to the right.
It was a very hilly course.

Fifth (Keith Gates) and sixth (Cole Tessier).

This guy (Ted Nation) did well.
I don't know if we can count his daughter as a top finisher though.

This guy (John Rakestraw) did very well.
Look closely in the background and you can see Jacob.
He is the little blur of white shirt coming down the hill ahead of that pack.

Here comes Jacob around the last bend following Carols Zapata.

Jacob is staring at his time as he crosses the finish line.

Instead of medals the Shriners gave out baked goods for awards.
Stephen picked a wonderful chocolate cake for his first place finish.

A little post race celebration.
Behind them is the entrance to the Garden of Eden.

The following pictures were taken by Herb Wills and the originals can be found on his Facebook page. Mr. Wills and another fellow named Fred come to many of the local races and take pictures and put them on a very informative running website for the Gulf Winds Track Club. I don't think I have met either of them, but they do a great job of taking pictures and getting information about upcoming and past races on the website. The Gulf Winds Track Club is one of the most thorough and complete running websites I have seen.

Now That's A Delicious Bass!

2010-05-07T18:49:00.004-05:00

Check out the bass I caught after work yesterday. I almost sunk my teeth right into him right then and there. Not really. I'm not a big fish fan.

Rose City Run Video

2010-05-04T02:56:00.006-05:00

Warning: If you have Dramamine take it now. I was trying to find my stopwatch and film at the same time. It didn't work very well.

Not all about running

2010-05-01T09:54:00.024-05:00

In case y'all thought this blog was turning into nothing but running, check out what else has been going on around here.

Last week Aim and her animal saving minions (i.e. the kids) found this little guy laying on his side next to our pond covered in ants but still moving. Clearly not happy with his situation, the Blue Jay allowed them to scrape the ants off him and bring him into the house. Then the rehab began. Aim spent three days crushing up up his bird food, mixing it with water, sucking the mixture up into a syringe, prying open the bird's beak and dropping the mixture into his mouth. All the bird had to do was swallow. Now that is pathetic. The most I've ever gotten was breakfast in bed. After three days of rehab the bird's health was restored. Kappy and Aim took him outside and let him go. That bird was spoiled rotten.

I have since seen him hanging out in the trees around our house waiting for us to put food out. Great, another mouth to feed! I told him that we are the Robbins family, not the Blue Jay family and that we are not looking to adopt right now. He didn't even acknowledge my presence. You see, he is a momma's boy and Aim wasn't home when we had our conversation. Either that, or I've been speaking to a different Blue Jay. Boy, now that would be embarassing.

Kappy lets the Blue Jay go.

This is the Blue Jay's tail end (literally) as he immediately flew up into the tree.

Next, Caroline and Jacob were honored yesterday at Shiver Elementary. Caroline received the Super Student Award for Mrs. Cowling's class and Jacob was recognized for earning 109.7 Accelerated Reading Points. A tremendous accomplishment by Jacob considering he didn't even start his reading until February of this year. In three months he has read two or three Percy Jackson Lightning Thief Books, two Harry Potter Books and several other books. It is amazing what he can do when he puts his mind to it. It's getting him to put his mind to something that can drive you crazy. Sounds a lot like his dad.

This picture was taken just after the awards ceremony.
I got him that watch so he can time himself during his races.

And guess what I did before we went to Gnat Days. I thought I'd throw a line into the ponds in front of our house and wham! I caught this little guy.

Last but not least, here is a picture of what the Dancing Queen was doing while I was fishing. If I don't put a picture of her in this post she might have me banished from her kingdom or something. It's Kappy's world and everyone else is just here to make her look good.

Camilla, Georgia: Gnat Days 5K Run

2010-04-30T20:18:00.024-05:00

Stephen and Jacob ran in the Gnat Days 5K Run in Camilla, Georgia this evening. This was an unusual race as it was run on a Friday evening at 7 pm. Most of the races take place on Saturday mornings. The overall winner of the race was a kid from Bainbridge, Georgia named Kyle Harris. Kyle is 15 years old and I think his time was around 17:35. His 9 year old brother, Caleb, won the 10 and under division with a time of 21:15. Their mom, Julie, came in third in her age group. This is a picture of 3 of the 5 members of the Harris family. We stayed and talked to them for quite awhile after the race. They are a very nice family!

The overall female winner is the lady in the white hat and black athletic top (the sports bra looking shirt). I think her name is Mary Anne Grayson. Before the race I told Stephen to line up next to her and run her pace. I gave him that advice because she finished just behind him in the Palace Saloon race and just ahead of him in the Rose City Run. The advice turned out to be well founded. With about 100 yards left in the race Stephen was about 15 yards behind Mrs. Grayson. About 50 yards before the end Stephen turned on the burners and caught up to her. I think she heard him coming as she turned the burners on herself about 10 yards before the end and beat Stephen by a step and a half. Stephen finished 5th overall and 1st in his age group. Jacob finished 35th overall and 5th in his age group.

Stephen and Jacob prior to the race

Is this hop scotch or a 5K?

Let the madness begin. Check out the Masked Avenger in the front right.Here come the first two runners down the stretch.
Kyle Harris pulls away from the Masked Avenger.

Stephen with about 100 yards left in the race.

Stephen turns on the burners with about 50 yards left.

Here comes the Jake. He ended up beating that kid.

Now for the trophys and medals.

Stephen was terrified to get in this picture with the Gnat Day Queens.
I think he was even scared of the little girls.
This is a large live oak tree in Camilla

Thomasville, Georgia: Stephen Robbins and the Goblet of Roses

2010-04-24T10:26:00.020-05:00

Stephen ran in the Thomasville Rose City Run 10K (6.2 Miles) today. He finished first in the 13 and under age group with a time of 43:31. You can view the winners results online at the Thomasville Enterprise Newspaper or see the results of all the runners on the Gulfwinds website. That time was good enough to put him at 38th overall out of 410 runners. He received a Silver Goblet and a rose for winning his age group. The second place kid in his age group finished 98th overall with a time of 49:30 and the third place kid had a time of 53:58. Overall, this group of 13 and under was faster than last year when the winner posted a time of 54:00. Based on the results shown in the newspaper, he would have finished third in the 14-18 year old division.

I had a feeling he would finish between 42-48 minutes given how fast he has run in the 5K's. He is wearing Boy Scout pants. Probably not a runner's preferred pant, but they will certainly do in a pinch. Jacob snapped the following pictures while I videotaped the race in several different places on the route.

Also, check out this article about the race. You will notice that the article mentions a Jessie Close. Y'all may not recognize the name, but I bet most of our family remember who he is. Mr. Close is the black guy we always saw running down Centerville Road every morning on our way to school. He is apparently one of the most successful Rose City Run participants ever. Pretty cool huh.

Check out Jacob's pictures:

The State Farmer's Market was the first mile marker

This is Stephen Robbins and the Goblet of Roses

Albany, Georgia: GISA Deerfield Windsor Track Meet April, 2010

2010-04-23T21:45:00.018-05:00

Where do I start. Aim, Stephen, Kappy, Papa and I went to Albany, Georgia today to watch Stephen and the Brookwood Middle School Track Team compete against the best GISA competition in south Georgia. Six or seven of the largest GISA schools around participated. The stadium was huge as you can see in the picture below.

The 1600 Meters (1 Mile)
Stephen ran in 5 races. The 1600 meters was the first race of the day. It was an awesome race. Stephen and the other kid shown above separated from the pack on the last lap. The other kid opened up a 20 meter or so lead on Stephen with about 200 meters to go. With about 100 meters left in the race Stephen had closed the gap to around 10 meters. With about 50 meters left in the race Stephen was right on the kid's heels. When the race ended, the kid had beaten Stephen by less than 1 second. The other kid ran a 5:33 mile and Stephen a 5:34 mile. A great race! I will be posting the video of the race as soon as I figure out how to do it.

When I say the "tall kid," I mean the "tall kid."

The 400 Meters (1/4 Mile) or 1 Lap

This was one of the most interesting of Stephen's races today. He took an early lead through the first turn and held that lead for about half the race. On the 2nd to last turn two kids caught him and began to take the lead. But oh no, Stephen wasn't finished. After the last turn and while coming down the home stretch, Stephen turned on the burners and raced past both leaders to win the race with a time of 1:07. The following two pictures show Stephen re-taking the lead down the stretch.

The 800 Meters (1/2 Mile)

I didn't hold out much hope of Stephen winning this race. Why, you ask? Because his main competition was the tall kid from the 1600 Meter race. Also, because Stephen had run two other races between the 1600 Meters and the 800 Meters and the tall kid had not run any other race besides the 1600 Meters. Also, because Stephen's previous race (the 400 Meters) had been just 10-12 minutes prior to the start of the 800 Meters. I just hoped Stephen could make it close and not come in 3rd or worse. As it turned out, my prediction was correct. Stephen was able to stay with the tall kid for most of the race but with about 200 Meters left his gas ran out. Stephen finished 3 seconds behind the tall kid with a time of 2:35. He finished a solid 15 seconds ahead of the third place kid. After their race the tall kid approached Stephen and asked him how long he'd been running. Stephen told him this was his second track and field race and the kid acted like he couldn't believe it. Not bad. A first and two seconds.

I will be posting videos of his races as soon as I can figure out how.

Brookwood's Middle School Track and Field Team

A little Pre-Race Strategery

Stephen Anchoring the 4X400 Meter Relay

Kappy is proud of her big brother

Then Kappy decides she wants of piece of her big brother on the track

Colquitt, Georgia: National Mayhaw Festival 5K

2010-04-18T21:19:00.007-05:00

Stephen and Jacob ran in the National Mayhaw Festival 5K Run on Saturday. There were around 60-70 other runners. Stephen finished as the 1st Overall Runner and Jacob finished as the 5th Overall Runner and 2nd in the 14 and under age group. The adults were in complete disbelief as they watched a 10 year old severly outpace them to the finish line. Stephen finished about 2 1/2 minutes ahead of the next place finisher. A group of 3 or 4 adults were bearing down on Jacob with about 1/4 mile to go. When he heard them coming he kicked it into overdrive and pulled away from them.

Stephen got a nice plaque and a $100.00 bill for winning the whole thing. Jacob got a medal for finishing 2nd in his age group.

The Rose City Run is this Saturday. It is a very hilly 10K race. I predict Stephen will finish with a time between 42:00-48:00. The kid who won Stephen's age group last year did so with a time of 54:00.

Cairo, Georgia: Caroline Danced at Cairo's Relay for Life 2010

2010-04-17T21:44:00.005-05:00

Forever in Blue Jean's Babe...Caroline's Dance Class tap danced at Cairo's Relay for Life 2010 at the Cairo High School running track. Here is Caroline showing off some of her fancy dance steps while holding the rim of her hat. She did a great job! Yay Liney!

Shellman, Georgia: Track and Field Event April 2010

2010-04-16T21:11:00.002-05:00

On Thursday, Stephen participated in a six school track and field event in Shellman, Georgia. The first race of the day was the 1600 meter (1 mile) run. Stephen jumped into the lead early and held the lead for three and a half laps. He seemed to run out of gas with a half lap to go and two runners passed him. He was able to pass one of them back and ended up in second place. The boy who beat him also runs for Brookwood and is in the 8th Grade. The winner ran the 1600 meters in 5:44 and Stephen ran it in 5:45. A very solid run for both runners.

Stephen then finished 2nd in the 400 meter (1/4 mile) with a time of 1:16. In his final race he won the 800 meter (1/2 mile) with a time of 2:36.

All in all, a good day for his first ever track and field event.

St. George Island, Florida: Spring Break 2010

2010-04-12T22:35:00.003-05:00

For Spring Break we went to Apalachicola and St. George Island. Jacob was tenacious when it came to learning how to skimboard. He had it down well by the time we had to come home. I'm tellin' ya'. The kid's got some mad skills. If it takes coordination to do it, Jacob is the man for the job.

Snow in Thomasville?!

2010-02-13T23:50:00.000-05:00

We heard all week that the snow was coming. In fact, yesterday my sister-in-law called and said their family built a five foot snowman in the front yard. They live in Elba, Alabama. But it was still somewhat of a surprise when the snow started falling this evening in Thomasville. At first we could see a few snowflakes intermingled with rain. As the sun went down and the temperature dropped the rain was replaced by huge wet snowflakes. Not the kind of snow we've seen when visiting out west. Out there you can dust the snow off without getting wet. At least that's the way it was when we last visited. This snow was wet and sticky. Almost slushy.

Not enough to make a snowman yet. Maybe tomorrow.

Calvary, Georgia: Mule Day November 2009

2009-11-08T20:53:00.032-05:00

Yesterday we went to Mule Day in Calvary, Georgia. It is amazing to me how many people come from miles away to the little unincorporated town of Calvary, Georgia to celebrate Mule Day. There must have been thirty to forty thousand people lined up for the parade and to shop the makeshift storefronts that are jammed into about 10 acres.

A Word of Advice
Mule Day is the first Saturday in November every year. If you want to go next year a word of advice. Enter Calvary from the North on Old 179. There is almost no traffic coming from this direction and you can park for free on Old 179 about 5 minutes (walking) from the parade route. If you don't mind paying $3-$5 you can park right in the middle of everything. Do not enter on SR111. If you do, you will be sitting in traffic for at least an hour before you find any parking. We've taken both routes in years past and prefer the former to the latter.

Here are some pictures we took.

Some of our relatives (on Aim's side, of course).

Nice Hat.

Ride 'em Cowboy.

The slowest mules in the parade. The saddles I mean.

Cute kids. We don't know who they are though.

Anyone can look cool when sitting on a Clydesdale.

Are those donkeys or dogs?

Kappy looking through a covered wagon.

This Farmall is in better shape than the one in our barn.

A little John Deere Green.

This is what a Go-Cart looks like in Calvary.

I'm tired of this parade stuff.

Go Noles! Let's make a bowl game this year.

An old Fashioned Ice Cream Maker.

This is a Cane Grinder. He is shoving sugar cane stalks into the machine. The machine smashes the juice out of the stalk. Some of the juice was squirting back at the guy instead of staying in the machine. If you look underneath the gears in the front you can see the cane juice trickle out of the machine and fall through a strainer.

After being squeezed out, the juice is dumped into a big hot vat and boiled. Some foamy green stuff floated to the top and this guy was skimming the foam off the top. We assume once the foam is skimmed off, the cane syrup is what is left.

Inside one of the booths at Mule Day.

And Now for My Opinion
I do not live in Calvary nor do I have any vested interest in the success of Mule Day. In fact, until a few years ago I absolutely refused to go with my wife and kids (citing my aversion to large crowds). So, for what it is worth, this is what I think of Mule Day.

Mule Day seems to epitomize all that is right about living in the south. People of all races, colors and religions come together to have a good, clean, wholesome time. On one stage there was a band playing "Old Timey" music, on another "Gospel," on another "Rock and Roll," and on another "Modern Country." There are all kinds of well constructed booths with everything from antique furniture to folksy paintings to leather accessories to gardening accessories to any type of food you can possibly think of eating. This list is endless.

In addition to the music and shopping, there are all types of antique motors used for woodworking, picking cotton, making ice cream, etc. as well as antique cars.

There is no large police presence required like you see at some of the festivals and no "Carnival like" feel. The only rides you will find at Mule Day are on tractors, mules and horses. Except for the guy riding the water buffalo of course.

The Mule Day Official Website

I just found out that Calvary's Mule Day has an official website. It is located at Calvary Mule Day.

Albany, Georgia: Stephen Finished Second

2009-10-26T00:36:00.001-05:00

Stephen finished second in the Albany Georgia GISA Cross Country Junior Varsity Regional. We are proud of him as this is his first year running cross country. I suspect we will soon be starting another blog devoted to running as my younger son seems to love cross country as well. Stephen is the one in the middle. Great Job Stephen!

Snakes: My Kids Love Them

2009-08-29T00:57:00.001-05:00

This is a picture of my son and daughter playing with a snake they caught in the backyard. They are crazy. Neither my wife nor I really like snakes, but our oldest son loves them and he has convinced our other kids that snakes are really cool.

Alligator Road Kill

2009-08-17T11:57:00.000-05:00

Only in the south will you get to see alligator road kill. We came upon this unfortunate reptile beside the highway in Hosford, FL on our way to the coast. All I can say is P. U.!

A Beautiful Moth

2009-06-29T01:04:00.000-05:00

My kids caught this moth and wanted me to put a picture of it on the blog so here it is. I think moths get a bad wrap sometimes. Most people think they are bland looking and just hang out waiting to destroy clothing. This one was quite pretty.

Young Women's Camp North of Macon

2009-06-27T01:15:00.000-05:00

My wife spent a week at a youth camp for girls last week. The camp was just north of Macon, Georgia. In addition to hiking, canoeing and swimming, the girls visited a nearby petting zoo. Apparently about half of the girls didn't really think of it as camping because they slept in makeshift houses without air conditioning. Apparently the other half of the girls thought it was too tough. Oh well. You can't please everyone.

Tropical Storm Fay

2008-09-05T00:48:00.000-05:00

For those of you who missed it, Tropical Storm Fay just would not leave. It passed over our house twice (once going West, then going East) and dumped tons of rain. Next door to our house is a cow pasture. These cows were apparently killed sometime during the rain, but I don't know what killed them. The rainwaters were not so high they would have drowned. I guess maybe lightning struck a pool of water they were standing in. That is all I can think of.
This carp may not look like much, but it is one of 3 carp that have been living in our pond for the last 15 years or so. Tropical Storm Fay ended this carp's tenure in the pond. We don't know if the other two survived or if they were washed over the dam and down stream.

A Trip South to St. Augustine

2008-05-29T00:29:00.000-05:00

My oldest son's class took a trip to St. Augustine last week and I went along as a chaperone. They had a blast. This picture was taken on St. George Street (a popular retail shopping venue downtown).

2008-03-16T00:43:00.000-05:00

Jacob joined the Cub Scout Troop in Whigham, Georgia this year. This is a picture of his first Pinewheel Derby. His car was one of the slower ones, but he did win an award for most unique design.

2007-10-10T19:18:00.001-05:00

Today I caught my daughter "clip clopping" out the back door in her diaper. I couldn't resist taking a picture!

Back to School!

2007-08-26T10:17:00.000-05:00

This is a photo of my kid's first day back to school. I will miss having them at home, I hope they will be okay!

Dad's New Filly - "Frizzy."

2007-08-12T20:01:00.006-05:00

This little Filly was born this month at my Dad's farm in Cairo. He bought the mare (mother horse) and the previous owner thought there was a chance she may be pregnant. For the longest time, we weren't sure if she was or not, until one day voila! He decided to name her "Frizzy because of her frizzy little tail. She is only a day old in these pictures. It always amazes me how they just stand up and walk right after being born!

Mommy's Little Angel - Jersey!

2007-05-09T14:15:00.000-05:00

Jersey is the smallest miniature dachshund I have ever seen. She only weighs 7 lbs. She is a good sport to put up with all the kids playing dress-up with her and carrying her around all the time.

Our New Puppy

2007-01-07T13:22:00.001-05:00

This is our latest addition. She is a piebald miniature dachshund. We decided to name her "Jersey" because her markings closely resemble that of a Jersey cow.

2006-08-25T11:58:00.000-05:00

Check out this cool collage I made using Picassa. I love the Sepia tone. It gives the photos a timeless quality. These are my kids and nephew and niece.

Feed Me I'm Starving

2006-07-20T11:37:00.000-05:00

Look at the mouths on these bluebird hatchlings. They remind me a little bit of dinner time around our house. Four starving young'ins willing to bite your fingers off if you get too close to their mouths.

The hatchlings are about 2 weeks old here. They start out with grey fluff, and turn blue later. Their eyes are open now and you can see the little shafts on their wings. Pretty soon feathers will begin sprouting from the shafts.
The birds are in a nestbox my dad built and mounted to an electrical pole in our back yard. Several wires (about 20 feet above the nestbox) run from the pole to our house and barns - (don't worry, this story isn't about how we electricuted four helpless birds).

Below, Mama and Papa Bluebird sit on the wire waiting for us to leave so they can fly down, enter the nestbox through the tiny hole in front and feed the hatchlings. Mama Bluebird is on the left and Papa on the right.

My husband always teases me saying Papa is much more colorful than his realtively drab female counterpart. If you ask me, what woman wants a guy who looks "pretty." I better not catch my husband putting on make-up!

If you question my dedication to keeping this blog up, you should see my ankles right now. Fire ants have built a hill right underneath the nest and they are quite vicious!

CHOW TIME!

2006-07-17T07:40:00.000-05:00

It took me quite a while for me to get these pictures, the adult bluebirds are very skittish creatures! The male bluebird is pictured here with a poor-soon to be devoured-insect in his mouth.

My dad made the bluebird house without a little peg in front of the hole as a perch since the bluebirds prefer to perch on the hole.

One of the parent bluebirds returns about every two minutes with another meal. The baby bluebirds get rather loud when their parent appears competing for the meal.

FEED ME!

2006-07-11T08:17:00.000-05:00

All four of the eggs hatched a few days ago. Their wings look like little arms. They are covered in grey "fuzz," and their eyes are not opened yet. I will continue to track their progress in pictures on this blog. Have a great day!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

2006-07-04T21:00:00.000-05:00

This is what we got to enjoy after a day full of swimming and barbequeing.
My friend Kim made this beautiful patriotic cake complete with sparkler candles. The fruit was sooo good with the chocolate cake and sour cream icing.

MORE BLUEBIRD EGGS

2006-06-26T19:31:00.000-05:00

After the last set of bluebirds learned to fly a different bluebird came and built a new nest. She didn't even give me time to clean the box out. She laid these pretty little blue eggs. I will post a picture of the babies when they hatch.

CORN AND SAUSAGE CHOWDER

2006-06-22T21:58:00.000-05:00

1 lb. mild sausage (about 2 links)
1 large onion
3 potatoes – peeled
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp dried basil
2 cups water
1-17 oz. can creamed style corn
1 16-1/2 oz. can skimmed, evaporated milk

Remove sausage from “skin,” scramble in water, pour off grease.
Repeat, drain well.
Sauté onion in 1 tsp. olive oil, add meat and all other ingredients except evaporated milk and corn.
Simmer 15 minutes.
Add milk and corn.
Heat, and then serve.

This is one of my favorite recipes that many have requested from me. Real easy to make and soo good! I got it from my mom. Enjoy!

CORN, PEACHES, AND BLUEBERRIES

2006-06-14T13:16:00.001-05:00

We took the kids over to my parents' farm in Cairo to pick some corn, peaches and blueberries. They own 250 acres that is leased out to a farmer.

This year the corn he planted is an improved Silver Queen variety. It is the best corn I have ever tasted! It is so sweet and creamy that you don't have to add any butter to it.

We had a little competetion between the kids to see who could collect the most ears of corn in five minutes and my son Jacob won with 25! Now we have corn coming out of our ears!
After this we went over to a friend's house who has a pool and sat beside the pool and shucked all the corn. After we got all hot and sticky with corn juice we jumped into the pool and cleaned off.

My daughter Caroline collected peaches. As for the blueberries; they were so good that they all got eaten before they could make it in the house.

BLUEBIRDS

2006-06-09T09:33:00.000-05:00

My Dad built this bluebird house for us last year. He told me to hang it on a tree or pole in an open area. And to place it a good distance from the house, at about 4-6 feet high, and bluebirds would come and make their nest.

I nailed it to an electric pole in the backyard and the next day bluebirds began to appear in our backyard. Before this, I only rarely saw bluebirds, and before I knew it, they were building a nest in the bird house.

The one pictured here is a female. I often see both the male and female working together to feed their babies. Wouldn't that be nice! :)

HARVESTING VEGGIES

2006-06-04T22:21:00.000-05:00

This is my first bell pepper of the season. I bought the pepper plant at Wal-Mart. It is the "Big Bertha" variety. I wish it had grown a bit wider. When I cut into it the walls were very thin. I've been told in the past by my grandma that I have a brown thumb.

Since we have moved out to the country, I have been trying my hand at gardening. It has also given me the opportunity to expirement more since we have more land and sun exposure out here. I have started trying the "Square Foot Garden(ing)" method. My husband built me a small raised bed and I have been hewning my gardening skills. I hope that my thumb will become greener!

Last year my son's elementary school handed out "oversized cabbage" plants to all the 3rd graders. They told them that whoever could grow the biggest cabbage would win $1,000. Along with some occasional Miracle Grow applications, my son managed to grow the second place winner! Great job Stephen!

SNAKES ALIVE!!!!

2006-06-02T23:25:00.000-05:00

Our family ate at Sonny's Real Pit Barbeque tonight. When we got home there was a snake slithering across the backyard. We couldn't figure out what kind of snake it was so we looked it up online. We found a website on snakes that indicated we had found a "Mud Snake." We found out the Mud Snake was not poisonous, did not bite and is a rather uncommon snake. My husband told our oldest son, Stephen, that if he were the first person to pick up the snake he would be a stud. After petting the snake a few times he got up the courage and picked it up.

Our youngest son, Jacob, was not quite as enthusiastic about holding the snake. It wasn't until we were about to let it go that Jacob mustered the courage to hold it. That was short lived, however, for when the snake began to slither up Jacob's shirt he quickly threw it to the ground.

This was the friendliest snake I have ever seen. It didn't seem to want to leave so we had to pick it up and move it away from the house and under the fig tree. I bet it will like it there. The only problem is now I am afraid to walk around outside in the dark. I guess I will have to drag my feet around so I don't step on him. Yikes!

WELCOME TO CAIRO, GEORGIA

2006-06-02T13:41:00.002-05:00

Our family moved here three years ago from Tallahassee, Florida. Not really much of a move geographically (Tallahassee is only 30 minutes south of us) but nearly a world away culturally. In Tallahassee we had wall to wall neighbors (after nine years we still didn't know their names), lived in a shoebox and spent 30 minutes fighting traffic to leave our subdivision in the morning. Not in Cairo. We now have 10 acres, two ponds, a 2,800 square foot home, chickens, a garden and all the amenities of farm life; all for roughly what we sold our shoebox for in Tallahassee. Our neighbors are hard working and pleasant farmers who have gone out of their way to help our citified family adjust to life in the country. Today was hot. The temperature got up to 89 degrees but (like it says on the Weather Channel) it felt like 95. We had one of those strange southern Georgia rains where the sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky, but it rained like crazy.I hope you enjoy the comments and pictures of our life here in Cairo, Georgia. Oh, by the way, the natives in Cairo pronounce it Kay-row.