Here's a short clip showing just how far I have to walk to get to the creek (Ladd's Branch) that runs through our property. Although it's dry most of the year, when a hard rain comes, there could be 10 feet of water rushing through this branch. I have found lots of cool looking rocks and fossils and some petrified wood. When big rains come, new rocks are exposed! The banded agates polish well. I'll post some pictures of those later.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Waiting for warmer weather
So, I'm STILL waiting to try out my new surfski. It's been an unusually cool winter. I have also been looking around for a new truck, but if I want to carry kayaks, I'll need some kind of rack. I saw a post on http://www.kayakmississippi.com/phatwater/ that mentioned this rack, and IF I had a truck, I would JUMP on this deal! Guess I'll have to wait...
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Cold enough for ICE CREAM!!!
I recently wrote / recorded this jingle/song for Kleinpeter Dairy Farms :
http://gfsongs.com/media/jingles/Kleinpeter_Dairy_We_Love_Our_Cows_v2.mp3
What do you think?
Lyrics:
Up in the morning 'fore the break of day.
By the light of the Milky Way.
See the cows all get in line
'cause they know that it's milking time.
Jersey, Guernsey, and Holstein
Giving up their milk and cream.
Kleinpeter Dairy
We love our cows, that's right.
We love our cows, oh yeah.
We love our cows.
http://gfsongs.com/media/jingles/Kleinpeter_Dairy_We_Love_Our_Cows_v2.mp3
What do you think?
Lyrics:
Up in the morning 'fore the break of day.
By the light of the Milky Way.
See the cows all get in line
'cause they know that it's milking time.
Jersey, Guernsey, and Holstein
Giving up their milk and cream.
Kleinpeter Dairy
We love our cows, that's right.
We love our cows, oh yeah.
We love our cows.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
New Surfski (Kayak)
Well, I know that I probably should have waited until spring, but well... I just got excited and placed the order. So, now, I am the proud owner of a Fenn Mako XT Surfski, which was created in South Africa, traveled by ship to Ocean Paddle Sports Ocean Paddle Sports and then by truck trailer through California, Washington, other points in between, Texas, Louisiana, and then Mississippi. I'll post some pictures later.
This weekend, I got the 3 kayaks off of the carport floor and onto some new racks that I built under the wing of my shed. This week... temperatures are going to be in the TEENS! Can't wait until Spring!
Now, how to get them from home to the Lake? I already have Yakima carriers, but would like to find a way to carry all three at once. Does anyone have any experience with these?
Being a newbie to kayaking, I probably should add some books to my library and spend the cold days/nights preparing for Spring. These look interesting:
I wonder if I could get in the water quicker if I bought a wet suit. Here are some that I am considering. Does anyone have any experience with this style for kayaking? Is XSPAN better?
I may also need gloves. These look interesting, but look like they are more for swimming. Does the wet suit come with feet? Or do I need boots like these?
Boys and their toys, right? Well, it seems safer than road bike riding...
G
This weekend, I got the 3 kayaks off of the carport floor and onto some new racks that I built under the wing of my shed. This week... temperatures are going to be in the TEENS! Can't wait until Spring!
Now, how to get them from home to the Lake? I already have Yakima carriers, but would like to find a way to carry all three at once. Does anyone have any experience with these?
Being a newbie to kayaking, I probably should add some books to my library and spend the cold days/nights preparing for Spring. These look interesting:
I wonder if I could get in the water quicker if I bought a wet suit. Here are some that I am considering. Does anyone have any experience with this style for kayaking? Is XSPAN better?
I may also need gloves. These look interesting, but look like they are more for swimming. Does the wet suit come with feet? Or do I need boots like these?
Boys and their toys, right? Well, it seems safer than road bike riding...
G
Sunday, October 18, 2009
2009 Phatwater Challenge: 42.5 mile kayak race on Mississippi River
Well, 6 weeks prior to the race, I purchased a couple of sit-on-top kayaks through CraigsList and after a few trips out on Lake Okhissa, decided to enter this race. Fortunately, due to high water and a favorable North wind, I was able to complete the race in under 6 hours. I was 9th of 23 in my class (recreational boats under 14 feet). I am shopping for a faster boat for next year's event...
Brookhaven Animal Rescue League 2009: Rescue Pussycat
Thanks to Emily for helping out again! My baby is growing up :(
Friday, May 1, 2009
Building a wheelchair ramp for my dad
After battling diabetes and heart problems for years, my dad had to have his right foot amputated. My big brother, Jerome, and brother-in-law, Tony, built a wheelchair ramp at my parents' house, with help from some friends May (or MaryLou or Margaret) and Jess, and a little help from me and my kids.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Meadville Baptist Church Spring Choir Program
In this clip, my daughter, Emily, surprises us by singing a solo on "The Sign of Christ". Yep, I'm a proud papa!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Roxie Baptist Church - Valentine's Day Banquet
I had a GREAT time at Roxie Baptist Church for their Valentine's Day Banquet. This was the "finale'". The hanky went to my wife, Kathy.
A few days later, I got to do a repeat performance at Meadville United Methodist Church for their Valentine's Day Banquet. Another great night!
Enjoy the clip!
A few days later, I got to do a repeat performance at Meadville United Methodist Church for their Valentine's Day Banquet. Another great night!
Enjoy the clip!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
White Christmas--- in Franklin County!
We had a surprise snow storm yesterday, with some parts of the county getting 8 inches! I was so excited, I ran outside with my guitar and recorded this clip. You can hear the wet snow falling!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Video clips from UCMVA Unity Awards
Kathy and I attended the 2008 UCMVA Unity Awards in New Orleans and videotaped some performances and award presentations for Grapevine Online Here are a few of the clips.
Matthew Baute
John Michael Talbot
Matt Maher
Kara Klein
Sharmane Adams
Jason Malachi
Matthew Baute
John Michael Talbot
Matt Maher
Kara Klein
Sharmane Adams
Jason Malachi
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
BARL 5th Annual Celebrity Dinner
(copied from http://www.barl.net)
Well, that's the official info taken from the BARL website.
This will be my 4th year to be a waiter and I have written a song each year.
2005 BARL (to the tune of YMCA) Lyrics mp3
2006 Thank God, I'm a BARL Dog Lyrics mp3
2007 Rescue League Blues Lyrics mp3
And now.... presenting the 2008 BARL Celebrity Dinner song....
2008 Take Me Home Lyrics mp3
BARL Celebrity Dinner & Auction Set for October 14th
Come have a “purrfectly” wonderful evening at the Brookhaven Animal Rescue League’s (BARL) 5th Annual Celebrity Dinner. The event is set for 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 14th at Rusty’s Family Restaurant.
The night consists of “howling” laughter as local “celebrities” wait tables for TIPS to support BARL’s animal programs. Costumes, singing, dancing and joking make for a fun-filled atmosphere which will feature a LIVE auction by auctioneer Jimmy Ray, owner of Mid-South Auto Auctions.
“This is our first LIVE auction. In the past, we’ve always had silent auctions, but we thought this would be a lot more fun and entertaining and we hear that auctioneer Jimmy Ray does a great job,” said BARL volunteer, Beth Adcock.
Just a few of the items that will be up for bid include a Bird Hunt at Millbrook Plantation donated by Dr. Ed Carruth; Weekend at Florida Condo donated by Rep. Bobby Moak; 2 Pickup loads of Mulch donated by Phillips Bark; 1 Hour Consultation donated by Legg Landscaping; Child’s Birthday Party for 8-10 donated by Patria Coggin; Simple Will donated by Boerner Law; Eye Exam donated by Dr. Jim Hall; Granite Name Plate for Desk donated by Brookhaven Monument; and Hand painted Dog Greeting Plaque for Door donated by Ann Jackson.
Tickets are $25 and may be purchased at Rusty’s Family Restaurant. The ticket guarantees you an evening of fun and a delicious Southern-Style dinner. All proceeds from the event benefit BARL.
A few of the “celebrity” waiters include Jimmy Allen, Assistant Vice-President/Mortgage Loan Officer - Bank of Franklin; Linda Covington, Owner – Brookhaven Honda Motorcycles; Representative Becky Currie, Mississippi House of Representatives; Gerard Faucheux, Manager, IT – Telapex, Inc; Dr. Mike Gowan, Brookhaven Animal Hospital; Chief Pap Henderson, Chief of Police - City of Brookhaven Police Department; Alvin Lyons, Manager - Cellular South; Rob McCreary, President - Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce; Dr. Ronnie Nettles, President – Copiah-Lincoln Community College; Senator Cindy-Hyde Smith, Mississippi Senate; Terri Lynn Watkins, Circuit Clerk – Lincoln County; Dr. Bob Watson, Brookhaven Animal Hospital.
“The waiters are able to get pre-TIPS from anyone who can’t be at the event. People can still support BARL by tipping their favorite waiter in advance. TIPS can be dropped off at Rusty’s Family Restaurant or given directly to the waiter,” said Adcock.
Joanna Sproles from King’s Daughters Hospital will serve as mistress of ceremonies.
“Last year Joanna was dressed in full 70’s costume complete with a huge black wig and yellow Go-Go boots. She does a fabulous job as MC,” said Adcock.
A few of this year’s event sponsors include “Top Dog” sponsors Animal Medical Center, Bank of Franklin, Lu and Mike Becker, Brookhaven Animal Hospital and Rusty’s Family Restaurant. “Pick of the Litter” sponsors include Joyce Asken Realty, McGehee McGehee and Torrey and W.H. Tyson’s and Sons.
Well, that's the official info taken from the BARL website.
This will be my 4th year to be a waiter and I have written a song each year.
2005 BARL (to the tune of YMCA) Lyrics mp3
2006 Thank God, I'm a BARL Dog Lyrics mp3
2007 Rescue League Blues Lyrics mp3
And now.... presenting the 2008 BARL Celebrity Dinner song....
2008 Take Me Home Lyrics mp3
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Sometimes it really is THAT simple...
After years of working in IT, having faced many troubleshooting episodes, I've developed a way of quickly solving problems. One of the things to remember is to not overlook the obvious or most simple solution in favor of a more complex one. Well... you would think that with all of this experience that it would carry over into other areas of life, right? Guess not. Guess I turn off the brain after 5pm on Friday...
When Gustav blew through, bringing some (unofficial) 20 inches of rain, which caused our normally dry creek to turn into a raging river that even overflowed its banks into our yard, our yard remained a little soggy.
High water after Hurricane Gustav
Since we're out in the country, we are on a septic tank system. When the water in the tub stopped draining, I jumped to the conclusion that our drain field was too wet, causing the tank to be full. So, in preparation for calling a pump truck out, I started to dig to find the access hole on the tank. About 30 minutes later, I tried to call the retired plumber that originally hooked up our house to the tank, but he didn't answer. So, I decided to Google this problem. I found some web sites that explained this problem of excess water causing the types of problems that I was having. The sites recommended against pumping, so we just decided that we would limit water usage until the water went down. What fun... No baths -- short showers only -- not letting the water down the drain. I even siphoned out the bathtub in the kids bathroom! Also, limited flushing! The boys were already back to nature.
Well, the plumber returned home, saw my name/number on caller id, and returned my call. It was after 6pm and already starting to get dark, so I figured, since this was Saturday, that he wouldn't be able to come until Monday. To my surprise, he said "I need to come help my friend if he can't flush!" So, about 20 minutes later, he was in my yard, running his snake down our drain pipe. Maybe 5 minutes later, the clog was cleared and we were back in business!
Yep -- simply just a blockage at the T in the tank. No digging and no pumping required!
When will I learn????
When Gustav blew through, bringing some (unofficial) 20 inches of rain, which caused our normally dry creek to turn into a raging river that even overflowed its banks into our yard, our yard remained a little soggy.
High water after Hurricane Gustav
Since we're out in the country, we are on a septic tank system. When the water in the tub stopped draining, I jumped to the conclusion that our drain field was too wet, causing the tank to be full. So, in preparation for calling a pump truck out, I started to dig to find the access hole on the tank. About 30 minutes later, I tried to call the retired plumber that originally hooked up our house to the tank, but he didn't answer. So, I decided to Google this problem. I found some web sites that explained this problem of excess water causing the types of problems that I was having. The sites recommended against pumping, so we just decided that we would limit water usage until the water went down. What fun... No baths -- short showers only -- not letting the water down the drain. I even siphoned out the bathtub in the kids bathroom! Also, limited flushing! The boys were already back to nature.
Well, the plumber returned home, saw my name/number on caller id, and returned my call. It was after 6pm and already starting to get dark, so I figured, since this was Saturday, that he wouldn't be able to come until Monday. To my surprise, he said "I need to come help my friend if he can't flush!" So, about 20 minutes later, he was in my yard, running his snake down our drain pipe. Maybe 5 minutes later, the clog was cleared and we were back in business!
Yep -- simply just a blockage at the T in the tank. No digging and no pumping required!
When will I learn????
Saturday, September 6, 2008
After Hurricane Gustav
On September 1, 2008, Hurricane Gustav hit south Louisiana, missing New Orleans, but causing lots of damage starting about 30 miles west of NO. My parents' house is in Grand Point, St. James Parish, and as these pictures show, there was significant wind damage to this area.
I drove my mom down on September 5 to clean out the refrigerator and freezer, since they were still without electricity. FORTUNATELY, two of her friends stopped what they were doing and came over to lend a hand. THANK YOU! to Mrs. Kathleen and Mrs. Debbie! I am SO glad that you came!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Hurricanes and anniversaries
August 29 was our 22nd wedding anniversary.
August 29 was the 3rd anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's devastating landfall.
By candlelight, in the coolness of the morning, on September 2, 2005, a few days after Hurricane Katrina hit, I wrote the words to this song. Being without power at my house, I drove 200 miles to my in-laws' house where I recorded it on my Digitech GNX4.
Sparked by that event, my songwriting continued to flow and in February of this year, I traveled to Fort Wayne, Indiana to record an album of 11 original songs, with David Smith providing the backing instruments and harmony.
Link to song on iTunes
We are watching as Gustav seems to have taken aim on our area of the country. People have been acting more quickly, stocking up on supplies, etc. We are praying that we will be spared. We are trying to prepare for the worst.
This year, things are a little more difficult, as my dad has recently begun dialysis treatments 3 days a week in a town about 25 miles away. Gas shortages could make the trip difficult.
He's also on a machine that delivers a higher concentration of oxygen, which requires electricity. He doesn't require it 24-hours a day, but usually sleeps with it on. Our water comes from an electric well in our yard, which is the source of our drinking water, water for washing, flushing, whatever. We have a generator, but only about 30 gallons of gas. I'm not sure how long that will last. My parents live in a camp that they built on our property and are also on our well for water. I am trying to figure out the best way to maximize the use of the one generator. When Katrina hit, we didn't have the generator. We had a small swimming pool in the back yard, and I used water from the pool for flushing. Nine days without electricity. No bathing. No cooking. No air conditioning in August, early September in southwestern Mississippi. Lord, I would rather not repeat that!
Well, compared to others, we were very blessed to not suffer significant damage or injury.
I'm off to continue preparations...
Gerard
August 29 was the 3rd anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's devastating landfall.
By candlelight, in the coolness of the morning, on September 2, 2005, a few days after Hurricane Katrina hit, I wrote the words to this song. Being without power at my house, I drove 200 miles to my in-laws' house where I recorded it on my Digitech GNX4.
Sparked by that event, my songwriting continued to flow and in February of this year, I traveled to Fort Wayne, Indiana to record an album of 11 original songs, with David Smith providing the backing instruments and harmony.
Link to song on iTunes
We are watching as Gustav seems to have taken aim on our area of the country. People have been acting more quickly, stocking up on supplies, etc. We are praying that we will be spared. We are trying to prepare for the worst.
This year, things are a little more difficult, as my dad has recently begun dialysis treatments 3 days a week in a town about 25 miles away. Gas shortages could make the trip difficult.
He's also on a machine that delivers a higher concentration of oxygen, which requires electricity. He doesn't require it 24-hours a day, but usually sleeps with it on. Our water comes from an electric well in our yard, which is the source of our drinking water, water for washing, flushing, whatever. We have a generator, but only about 30 gallons of gas. I'm not sure how long that will last. My parents live in a camp that they built on our property and are also on our well for water. I am trying to figure out the best way to maximize the use of the one generator. When Katrina hit, we didn't have the generator. We had a small swimming pool in the back yard, and I used water from the pool for flushing. Nine days without electricity. No bathing. No cooking. No air conditioning in August, early September in southwestern Mississippi. Lord, I would rather not repeat that!
Well, compared to others, we were very blessed to not suffer significant damage or injury.
I'm off to continue preparations...
Gerard
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