Well I have to chime in looking back over 70 plus years when I was a child on the farm there was no television.  I recall my dad telling me that someday in the future I would be able to see pictures that would come through the "ether veins" in the air like the sound on radio and I would be able to see the people talking.

But there was radio!  My dad, I thought, was the smartest man in the world. I was most assuredly my daddy's girl.  When the neighbors had problems with their radios or telephones they would call my dad.

My dad made a cabinet – like affair to set our radio on.  It was about a yard long and a little over a foot wide and probably about 16 inches deep standing on four square legs.  He varnished it a Mahoney color.

There were three compartments in the back of the cabinet making it possible to put a car battery on either side of the middle compartment.  The middle compartment was for the speaker to the radio.  On the front of the cabinet dad bored round holes in the front of where the speaker sits.  He designed the holes to represent a square, probably a foot on all four sides with many holes within the square that allowed the sound to escape for us to listen to.

Currently it is down in the basement.  I don’t know what condition it is in. It has been years since I could go down there.  I occasionally mention it to the boys but they have not brought it up for me to see yet.

The telephones in those days were oblong boxes that were mounted on the wall.  Ours had an adjustable thin "silver colored" mouthpiece about ten inches long that could be adjusted up and down to the serve the height of the speaker. The mouthpiece itself was round and about the size of the top of a small coffee cup.   It had a receiver that extended on a cord from the side with a “U” like cradle to hang the receiver upside down in and the weight of the receiver would pull the “U” down and terminated the call.

In those days each owner was assigned a designated number of  short and/or long rings and that was your personal "ring".  There were also special rings for fire and other things that they wanted to alert people about.

You memorized everyone’s ring and had the ability to listen in on other people’s conversations.  I remember one lady listening in so much it must have been her entertainment of the day.  My dad called her a “rubber necker”!

One of the parts to this kind of telephone was a large magnet shaped in a long U.  I loved to play with it to pick up or attach it to all kinds of metal things.  I can still feel it now as the metal snapped to it!

I was instructed very sternly to not walk in front of the telephone when an electrical storm was in progress.  There had been instances when people had been knocked down by a ball of fire coming from the telephone when the phone was hit by lightning.  They got my attention and I was careful to not walk in front of it during an electrical storm.  Or to bend very low to the floor and hurry quickly by.

And also mom told me never to be around the dog at those times because dogs drew lightning and not to use anything metal like scissors, carrying a bucket or any thing metal.

But I always felt safe with my dad and he and I would sometimes sit out on the well-protected porch and he would talk to me about the lightning as it streaked across the sky.  He explained to me the lightning was following the veins in the sky and they were like veins that the radio sounds followed!

I loved to go with my dad when he was called to fix the radio or phone etc. If they had children that was all the better but many times there were not any children.  But I never had a hard time entertaining myself.  Sometimes dad would forget me and have to come back after me.  I always told the people that my daddy would come back and get me! I never worried because I knew he would be back.

One particular place I remember going was to an old bachelor’s home and he took the daily paper.  He saved them and gave the comics to me when I came. They were in color and I always looked forward to getting them.  His name was Gus Sinner.  I could hardly wait until I got home and mom would hold me on her lap and read them to me.  My all time favorite was the Katzjammer Kids.

The folks bought me a little oblong book about the Katzjammer Kids, which I still have; however it does show it’s hard use when I was a child but all the pages are there.

I was only allowed to listen to the radio for just so long every day, because it ran on the car battery. When the battery got low or we needed it for the car dad just unhooked it from the radio and put it in the car. The car would recharge it.

There would always be an evening time that mom and dad and I would listen together to various programs.  One of the programs I remember was Major Bowes Amateur hour.  Ted Mack was the emcee.  I loved to hear Kate Smith sing.  God Bless America, boy could she belt it out and make me feel so proud to live in America.

Dad made me a crystal set.  It had a little fine wire called a cat whisker with a small knob on to guide it over the crystal and you could find various programs. It was mounted on a little black square of a hard substance. You had what dad called a "head set" to hear with.

The little transistor radios of today and their headpieces are much smaller and are lightweight.  These were much larger round circles with a hole in the center of the part that was placed over your ear. They were made of a black substance, the same material that the telephone receivers were and you had a large adjustable deal that went over your head that you could adjust to fit your head and ears. They were heavy.

The set took no battery it just came over what dad called the "ether veins" in the sky.  He used to tell me when we saw a bolt of lightening to watch how the lightning was followed the veins in the sky that was how the sound of radio traveled over.  I was allowed to listen to the crystal set to my hearts content.  Really neat for a little girl.
Well if you have stayed with me to the end thanks for listening.  

God Bless you all,  Addie here

My 2002 Christmas Season started out this year with The Christmas Carol, a story that brings back childhood memories of my mother reading the story of Scrooge and little Tim to me as she held me on her lap.

This year has really gone fast for me.  Gary and Loraine came in January and took me home with them to Thumb’s Point on South Hutchinson Island, FL.  We left here the 24th and got back April 24.  I was pleasantly surprised that I stood the trip so well going down but coming home was another story.

While sitting on the beach and jetty it was hard to believe there was a “cold world in Kansas”!   Rarely a day went by that Loraine didn’t wheel me down to the jetty!  So much to see besides the boats going in and out of the inlet and the kite skiers skiing & sailing in and off the beach!  Dolphins, blue herons, cormorants, manatees, sea gulls, pelicans & little ruddy turnstones hunting desperately for scraps of bait or stealing from the fishermen.  I do so enjoy listening to and watching the ocean rolling & crashing in.   I sit in wonder of it all.  Our God is such a good and powerful God!  They also took me to Jensen Beach and put me in a blue padded chair with an umbrella on top & had large rubber yellow wheels.  When they rolled me down on the beach Bill dug a hole down in the sand for the wheels so I could be level & and get my feet in the water.  I love the ocean & better yet if I can get my feet in it!  Lori dug a hole so the water would pool under my feet as the waves came crashing in!  I tell you the Hickman clan is quite a site to see!  Fun to see the onlookers watch us & I expect they would not care to be mistaken for relatives of ours!  When we were going down the ramp, Bill was behind the chair and Lori in front to help and especially pull out over the sand.  Bill kept talking to himself he didn’t know if he could do this & Lori kept saying you can do it, you can do it.  I get so tickled at those two kids!  Coming back up from the beach when we got to the ramp, Bill was walking backward behind the chair and Lori in front pushing on the chair handles to help him & Loraine was pushing on Lori’s rear to help her while Gary was rolling the video!  I was singing to them “Mule train’!   Lori got so tickled and said “stop Granny I am laughing so hard I can’t push!”  Then when we had to turn a corner to go on up another ramp the big umbrella about sideswiped a man holding a little boy that were just standing there watching us. The little boy had such an amusing look on his face.  After we turned in the chair & I got in my wheel chair and they started for the car, I guess Loraine thought we were heading for the stairs with steps and she said don’t take her down there & and I said “Oh No don’t throw mama under the train”!  And that got the attention of onlookers as well as keeping everyone in stitches!  One guy was starting down a stairway and stopped and backed up just to watch us. Anyway I was having a blast & I think the kids were too.  Such a silly bunch!

One day they took me to Felsmore Canal C 54 to see the manatees we heard were there.  There were a lot of them.  Several would pop their heads up out of the water all at one time. It was fun to watch them do their dive-like roll showing their round back and fan-like tail as they rolled!

In February Gary and Loraine took me on a cruise on the ship Fantasy to the Bahamas.  It was a trip to be remembered. Riding up the glassed elevators that overlooked a rotunda allowing you to look at all the floors as you passed them by in all their beauty and activities.  Thanks to Gary’s “man power” I was able to get on all floors except the very top one.  They took some memorable pictures that help trigger various memories!  I did so enjoy it all!  The cabin we had was handicap accessible and I was so surprised how big it was. It also had a huge bathroom.  There were four bunks, two beds on two sides of the room with a beautiful table and display at the foot of the beds in the corner with a TV above.  The top bunks folded up into the wall. Loraine took a top one leaving the bottom one for Gary to be able to get up and take care of my needs.  Since I had not completely recovered from bronchitis they put me to bed in the afternoons for a little while and it seemed to refresh me so I was ready to go again and on into the night.  One
night was formal dress night for dinner. Loraine fixed me all up.  The first time in my life that I ever had eyeliner on or whatever you call it!  There was night entertainment and daytime also. So much you could not take it all in.  I enjoyed the leisurely breakfasts on the deck overlooking the little kids pool on the next deck below and the big wide ocean to watch!  I always enjoy watching little kids anytime anywhere!

There were all kinds of eating rooms it seemed to me.  And you could go any time day or night and they would fix for you.  Some of the ice sculptures were unbelievable on display with the fruits!

The Bahamas were a surprise to me.  I had in my head they were not so pretty and well kept.  There is a lot of history to see there and the straw market was quite an experience and it was a beautiful area.

The last night coming home quite a storm hit us and delayed our getting into port.  In other words that night you could have considered yourself “rocked” to sleep!

Gary’s daughter, Lori, and Bill are still in Orlando, FL and busy with their
watson@gardencritters.com business.  Bill is quite artistic and does beautiful work and they have favored me with several of his creations.  Take a look at their site.  I know you will enjoy it.  Lori helped take care of me while I was at Gary’s when they came down and took me to church and so many things.  We spent quality time together and had such good talks.  We must have been quite the site going down the streets, me in my wheel chair and she on her roller blades “tooling” me down to the jetty with me leading
her little dog “Baby” on a leash!   Talking about Baby – Lori and Loraine took me one day to a beach park for a picnic.  It was too hot in the car to leave Baby so put her on the leash and I led her into the park while Lori pushed me.  The Park Attendant said no dogs allowed.  Well now what!  Quick thinking Lori spouted out, “it’s granny’s hearing aid dog and kept on going. Then Baby brought things to a halt as she squatted and done a job!  Lori looked at the attendant and said, “I suppose you want me to clean that up” and he said yes and she did.  We continued on and I could hardly contain myself!   Then we ate right by the lifeguard but he didn’t say a word.  Lori kept telling me not to talk but to make signs I was supposed to not be able to hear or talk.  We both were giggling so hard people had to think we were nuts.  Loraine distanced herself from us somewhat I think we even embarrassed her!  Lori doesn’t forget her old granny and calls me regularly.

I have a very caring family and praise the Lord for them.  They shower me with calls and Terry and Addie never pass up an opportunity to favor this old granny with so many things. If a package arrives the first thing I think about, I bet it’s from Terry!  Kin calls everyday and some times more than once.   I rarely miss a day without a call from Gary no matter where he travels.  You know the thought out of site out of mind; apparently not so as no matter where he travels he calls, even from out in the ocean when he was out fishing in Hawaii!  I could not believe how clear his voice was!

In July Kin took me to the old Settler’s picnic in Oskaloosa.  I like to go on the day that they have the hay bale throwing completion.  The sun was shining brightly as we arrived Kin told me to put on my sun hat.  I wondered why really because he always settles me in the shade.  But I put it on but when I got settled in I took it off.  There was a method to his madness that I didn’t tumble to until I heard him talking to his friend Rick.

About a week before, I think he got tired of my complaining that I needed a haircut.  Anyway he decided he would cut it himself.  I was most willing as when my hair gets a little long it drives me mad!  He got out the clippers and comb and scissors and tied a deal around my neck and we were in business and a lot of hair began to pile up on the floor!  Toward the end he was complaining about my cal lick how it always gives him a fit every time he combs my hair and he was going to fix that he said so he went to work on my cal lick!  He clipped and clipped.  I finally asked him if anyone could see a bald spot back there and he replied, “Only if the sun shines on it!” Anyway my hair ended up SHORT but I was glad to have it cut.  When Amanda came and saw it she had a fit and told her dad never to cut my hair again! So I wondered what LeAnna would say when she saw it but she didn’t say anything; however Kin said she had plenty to say out of my earshot!

Anyway I had to laugh after the picnic when I heard Kin telling Rick he wanted me to wear my hat so people wouldn’t think I had had Chemo!  I had a wonderful time at the picnic short hair and all and I am about ready for him to give me another hair cut!  It is getting too long!

While I was in Florida Loraine kept my hair trimmed all the time and washed it and fixed it daily like I like with the bangs in front.  I am no longer able to keep my hair myself as my shoulders and arms will not allow me to.

Apparently my body oxygen was becoming depleted and when I got home I ended up being sent to a Lung Specialist.  When I arrived at his office they put a thing on my finger and the buzzer went off and wouldn’t shut up.  When I asked them what was going on he told me it revealed that I was not getting enough oxygen.  So they put me on 3 liters day and night for a while.  I grew very tired of dragging that “tail” around everywhere I went. Fortunately I no longer need it in the daytime only at night.

Lenney is retired and he and Arlena are still living in suburbs of Atlanta, GA.  Arlena is quite active in her Quilters’ Guild.  They came up early in the fall for a week and will also spend Christmas with us. Arlena is always kept busy running the household and Lenney fixing things on the computer etc and spoiling me by putting me to bed each night and giving me a goodnight kiss!  Their son, Terry and family are still in the suburbs of Cincinnati, OH where he maintains Internal Technology Auditing for Procter and Gamble. He travels all over the world auditing and maintaining their computers, in fact, he had to cancel a trip to see me in September because of an emergency in CA.   But he & Addie did come to see me in October and stayed a few days, and as usual granny kept him busy doing things especially on the computer! I miss him so much since he has a family as he had always spoiled his old granny by coming to see her often.  Addie’s children, Anthony; is living at home and Angela has an apartment & going to college and working also.

Gary’s son, Arlain, and family moved to Couerd’Alene, ID earlier this year before school started so Jennifer can further her career.  I was quite surprised when I learned they were moving, as I had thought if they moved out of CA it would be back to Florida where he still owns his house. Arlain is a Physical Therapist at a local hospital there.

Gary and Loraine came in September for my birthday. They took me to Kennedy’s timber for a wiener roast and plain old reminiscing of days gone by when Cliff and I lived on the farm!  I love to smell the wood fire!   It was great.  They not only took me once but also took me three times while they were here. Gary took me to several doctors’ appointments to save Kin from taking off work.

Whoever comes to see me is kept busy but they seem to come back for more. However, this summer when Gary was here I think I had everyone including the neighbors upset with me as well as my claimed kids, Jim & Ruby, who were helping Gary because I was insisting I should be able to get better reception on my Sky Angel dish. But after all I put them through I have finally come to the conclusion I had better be happy with what I can get it and be more patient when I can’t.  But since the leaves are off the trees, I am getting wonderful reception.  I do so love some of the channels they have, the 3 Angel’s Broadcasting Channel and Safe Channel are my favorites. The regular TV has so much on it that I just plain do not care to watch.  I feel so fortunate that Jim saw to it that I got the dish. A church brother, Ray Carrick came & provided the cable and helped Jim & Ruby set it all up for me.

My birthday brought so many cards and then calls from all of the family and one of the most enjoyable was from my “little greats” Sammy, 8 and Katie, 10.  They each sang “Happy Birthday” and talked awhile to me.  Katie first and then Sammy came on and he gave a new “little twist” to the song!  He is getting to be quite a conversationalist.  He was all thrilled about his granddad, Gary, was going to bring him a 22 caliber pellet air riffle that he was going to pass on down to him.  He was so excited.  He got to talking
about “generation after generation” how he was going to hand it down to his son and so on and on.  I interjected and said what if you don’t have a son but have a little girl.  That set him back for just a minute and then he said he would just adopt a son.   Then he hurried on to say he was not going to get married anyway.  He wanted to know if his granddad was adopted and I told him no he was my boy and he said did you ever get married!   We had quite a conversation.   I miss those little ones so much since they are gone from Florida.

Kin takes me for rides now and then in the country and Oh how I love to see the fields, crops and then the fall leaves.  It all reminds me of Cliff, and our life on the farm!  How I miss that old man!  This year Kin had a hard time scheduling the fall trip on a decent day, as the weather was not cooperating.  But at last he said if we didn’t go the leaves were falling so fast they would be gone.  It had been so dreary looking and no sun, and drizzling rain off and on.   He took me out east of town over roads I never remember going over before. Oh the beauty of going around & through the rolling wooded hills and bluffs!  We even saw a small flock of turkeys cross the road! The leaves were beautiful even though no sun on them.  Some of the trees shaped so pretty and perfect and others that looked like they had been through the mill but the leaves were still pretty.  The beauty reminded me of our Creator.  While the world has gone through devastating happenings the Creator’s beautiful handy work still shines through it all.  Praise the Lord.

I treasure the time Kin takes from his busy life to spend with me.  He always manages to come at least a couple times a week when I’m here alone to just visit and play cards.  Amazing what we talk about while enjoying our games. If he thinks of me as a burden it never shows through, and for that I am most grateful, as I know I am a mess!  Kin still works for KDOT and LeAnna still with State Cosmetology Dept.

Kin still has his hunting and show dogs. In the spring of 2002, Grand Champion Evans Creek Nellie won Grand Champion Female at the Kansas State Coonhound Bench Show and went on to win opposite sex Kansas State Show Champion of 2002.

 Nellie was sired by Grand Nite Champion Grand Show Champion, Evans Creek Willie, another hound raised and trained by Kin.  Elvis, a littermate of Nellie’s  made Show Champion, Grand Show Champion and Nite Champion during this summer.  Their dam was a Dual Grand Champion Female owned by a friend of Kin’s.

I love to hear the stories of Kin’s hunting and trapping experiences.  They are quite entertaining to me.  It is not unusual for him to receive requests from farmers to come and trap various animals that are causing problems. This fall one of Kin’s friends, Brian, had some live traps set at an old farmer’s barn.  Brian asked Kin how to get a skunk out of a live trap without getting stunk up.  They discussed different methods like dunking it in a barrel of water or throwing a blanket over it etc. They finally went out to the barn where the skunk was.  The old farmer, Brian said, was pretty upset because he had just bought a bunch of feed and had it all stored in by the skunk and wasn’t liking the fact that things were going to be pretty smelly in there.  When they got there the old farmer was gone, but he had left the skunk for Brian but had a blanket and a bucket sitting near by. Kin went over to the trap and started talking to the skunk calling him “Pepe ‘Le Pue” and started slowly rolling the cage over so the door would fall open. Brian was trying to get some wire off the wall and made a sudden bang, the skunk jumped, Kin jumped, and Kin told Brian not to do that again! Brain was standing off about 30 feet away by the barn door ready to run if the skunk started his way!   Kin continued slowly rolling the cage over, all the time saying softly “poor little Pepe ‘Le Pue and the skunk was kept busy trying to keep on it’s feet and the door fell open and the skunk ran off!
No spray!

Kin’s daughter, Amanda broke her right leg Oct. 7th, in gym and had surgery on it putting in a plate and 5 screws, as well as a larger screw in her ankle joint.  The incision is all of 5 inches long.   Since then she has no been able to come as often as before.  I miss her daily visits, help and calls so much.  Earlier this month she was thrilled to get rid of her crutches and then her cast.  She has to wear a brace but limps along happily!  Needless to say the break ended her Tennis for the year.  She plays on the Varsity Team.  Thankfully she had already lettered in Tennis. She went to Tennis Camp this summer and played in matches and tournaments! Her Regionals were in progress when the accident happened.  We play a lot of table games in this family and one time while spending a couple days at Kin’ s together she wanted us to play a new game she had.  I never really got it learned but LeAnna struck a bargain with her that we would learn her game if she would then learn to play “5 point pitch”.  She accepted the challenge and now whips the “socks” off her granny all the time.   She will be 16 in January and is a Sophomore and has her limited driver’s license.  She continues to be on the honor roll.  She is a very special girl to her old granny.

I am still living alone and praising the Lord ever day for keeping me mobile.  Wishing you and yours a very Merry Holiday Season and a Good New Year.  God’s Blessing to you all and let us be Ready for Jesus to come.  Can’t be long now!

 Addie here at 642 in Topeka December 23, 2002

Eleanor's strawberry story brought to mind some precious memories of my own when my big boys were little and we lived on the farm.

It was mentioned earlier that stories about children were needed so I have some running through my mind I would like to share.

These were the wonderful days of our youthful years on the farm.  We lived back in a pasture, yard fenced with the south edge a creek bank, we called the creek the branch!  Behind our house was a dense timber called Kennedy's Timber.  With a patch of good rich flat ground called The Slocum Patch down over the bank which lay east of the branch and south of Kennedy's timber.  Both pieces of land got their names by the previous owner.  The Slocum Patch when my husband, Cliff's, dad purchased it, it was solid timber.  Cliff remembers helping his dad clear the land for planting.  The trees had to be cut and the stumps removed.  That was no easy task.  It was all done with horses in those days. No tractor to pull the stumps out.  There was a lot of digging involved and
hard work.

Our home took on the name of The Painted House!   The house sit in the middle of the fenced yard with an orchard and grape vines to the back, east, against Kennedy's Timber. The name Painted House came about when Gary was little. Cliff's brother, Hick, who was a bus driver here in Topeka (which is about 40 miles south east of the farm), came up on his days off and helped around the farm.  He decided to paint the house.  So he painted the top half of the two story house while I painted the bottom half. He used a big wide brush and I used a smaller one perhaps 3 inches wide. Hick always laughed and said he never saw anyone paint so fast with a small brush as I did.  I loved to paint but because of my weakness could not use a bigger and heavier brush.  I loved to paint so much and wish I still could. Gary was just a wee one!  Gary called it the painted house when he talked about the house and the family took on that name.   There is quite a story about that time as well.  And I shall have to bore you with it.

 It was one summer during harvest time.  My husband, Cliff, combined wheat and oats for other people and was often very late in getting home. He also had a truck and would haul their grain to the elevator.   Hick and I would do the chores.  Because of my weakness, I could not milk so Hick would do that.  However this one night after painting, Hick, without changing his paint clothes  went to the barn to milk and the old cow went berserk!   He was wet with milk and cow doo doo all over him when he came to the house and some very fancy Hickman words were coming out of his mouth as well!  The old cow had him down on the ground and really worked him over even though she was in stansions (can't spell).  He said he would never milk another cow and he kept his word!

The moral of the story don't milk the cows with paint all over your clothes! Gary learned to milk at a very early age though and found he had to do a lot of it.

There is a story about the Slocum Patch and Kennedy's Timber I must tell you as well.  To get to the Slocum Patch Cliff would go through Kennedy's Timber.  Gary was very little and could hardly talk but he was an outdoor boy.  Could not be kept in the house and there is a story there also. Anyway Cliff has always told him not to go into Kennedy's Timber.   He saw his dad go into the timber to go down and check the Slocum Patch and he started to follow him.  Cliff saw him so hid in the bushes and when he got close he growled like a bear.  Gary turned around and ran as fast as his little legs could carry him up over the cave he came flying.  However we had a big white dog named, "Bugs" and  thought Gary was playing so he chased him and he would grab his pants leg and throw him down several times until Gary got his fill of it and he hauled off and bit Bugs, I think on the ear. Anyway Bugs yelped and left him alone and Gary came around to the west side of the house and I was on the porch doing something and he said, "Mama, Mama something went GRR at Gary!"   Then before long Cliff came around the corner griinning.  It was funny but looking back that was really dumb of us to scare him like that.  But he stayed out of Kennedy's Timber until he was big enough to know how to get around.

Another story about Gary and Kennedy's Timber is the gooseberry episode.  My mom and I went gooseberry picking in Kennedy's Timber one day.  Gary went with us and was his first experience with gooseberry bushes.  Gary always wanted to help with everything.  And he walked right into the middle of the bush to pick the gooseberries he saw before I could stop him.  The branches with thorns of course surrounded him even his face area.  Needless to say he learned quickly that gooseberry bushes has "stickers" you have to watch out for!  He was so young I doubt he even remembers it.

There is also a story about the gooseberry bushes and Hick, my husband's brother.  This was before I was born.  My mother was a girl and about Hick's age.  She was a close friend to Hick's first cousin, Prude Wagonseller. They (Kids) were in Kennedy's timber playing.  There were grape vines that they swung on.  Hick was rather a "show off" (that may not be the right word) and anyway he was bragging of his capabilities on a grape vine.  And just then swung out over some gooseberry bushes and the vine broke and Hick went in the gooseberry bushes.  My mother always laughed and told that story on Hick.  He remembered it well also.

Now to get to the Strawberry story I started out to tell.  The strawberry patch was maybe an eighth of a mile west of the house Gary and Lenney were not very old, perhaps Gary was in school but Lenney was not.  There are four years difference in age.   Cliff's brother, Hick, had planted a strawberry patch and worked in it on his days off.  The boys would go with him.  Gary was old enough to pick the strawberries but Lenney thought it more fun to eat them and give his Uncle a little bit of excitement.  Hick always took the team and wagon to the patch and one day while Hick was in the patch working, Lenney, got in the wagon and started the horses on the run in a circle at a hard gallop!   Since Lenney was not very big, Hick got excited and jumped the fence and tried to catch the team and kept hollering at Lenney to stop them.  Whether Lenney could have or not I don't know but Hick decided the only way he was ever going to catch them was cut across the circle which he did.   If I remember right Hick threatened not to take him again,  but he always did!

Well if you have stayed with me to the end I want to say thank you and God Bless you all.  These have brought other precious memories as well but better stop while hopefully I am ahead!!!   Addie here

Hi all!  Got here Sat night safe and sound.  The trip went better than I expected.  We stayed at Murphysboro, TN the first night and the second night Lake City Fla.  Then took a slow day on down toward Ft. Pierce to South Hutchinson Island where Gary and Loraine lives.  Of course had to stop at Russel Stover's at Wildwood and browse!  Then on to Orlando to the granddaughter's, Lori and husband.  We all went to Cosco to get my wiener that I like so much! 

We got here to the house in the evening and they got me settled in my bedroom.  I have a big double windows overlooking the cove.  Sunday there was lots of activity in the cove.  Many boats with fishermen going out to fish!  I thought when we got here boy I was not going to get out of the house Sunday at all but just rest mainly.  But they dangled a "Sam's wiener" under my nose and away we went!  Then in the evening around 9 ish Gary wanted to know if I wanted to go for a walk in the moon light.  Full moon.  So we went for a walk, Loraine, Gary and I (me in the wheel chair)- they took me down to the beach and sit on the "boardwalk" several feet "atop" the beach.  Listening to the waves crashing in - what a great sound and what an awesome thought of God's great creation.  How He sets boundary lines and times and measure even the tide -  all a mystery to me.  The moon - what beauty as it shone down on the tops of the waves making a long silver line glittering and glistening as the water moved.  Reflection down toward me from the tops of those waves presented a great show! 

They have set up me a couple tables in my bedroom, one overlooking the cove that I can read, write or whatever from and then one with a computer on so I can do whatever I want on the computer.  They have loaded my FTM so I can work on it when I like. 

I miss my Jake (a big blue heron that was here on my first trip down here).  However he has been replaced by a little Jake!  They are two different kinds of herons but I try to tell Gary this is a baby Heron.  But of course it is not!  Anyway he is Baby Jake to me!  This morning he walked all along the sea wall and hunted for bugs etc.  I watched as he craned his neck upward stretching along one of the boat lifts.  All of a sudden I saw something drop from the lift and was caught mid air by Baby Jake and swallowed!  It took him a little while to get it down.  Loraine said it was a lizard.  I saw a Cormorant was fishing this morning.  And fish are jummping!  The Cormorant would disappear under water for a while and then up with his long neck out of the water and then back under again.

Quite amazing how I shed my coats along the way coming down here (changing from heavy to lighter ones) until at last I wanted no coat at all.  Well I will go for now.  But wanted to let you know I am here safe and sound and thought along the way that the juice you were drinking was really working!  Thanks to you all and God Bless each of you.  Addie here in Florida